#this episode was just setting up for 20 to crash down

[spooksnett]

I just listened to TMAG19 on patreon release and oh no guys...oh no...episode 20 is going to hurt us all...no one is safe...oh no...bad things are coming...

[zeonotneo]

A/N : Oh my gosh this is my first fic and I'm impulsively writing it so it isn't proof read or I might overthink it and not post it.

pleaseee give me prompts or recommendations, not limited to Spencer! Any member of the BAU, or Criminal Minds, I am only halfway through season 9 so no spoilers!

I'm currently on 09x15 of Criminal Minds, and this episode is directed by our very own Mr. Gibson.

"Do you wanna come upstairs?"

(Gn!reader) after a particularly exhaustive case that struck Spencer the hard way, reader tries to be there for him ( this isn't a romantic fic but is up for interpretation/ as you wish ;) ) .

I've been a part of the BAU for about seven months now, I transferred a little while after my time in the field under the SOC, but I had assisted them on multiple cases before and was familiar with most of the team so the transition wasn't hard. I was great friends with Penelope already because she'd help me on my cases sometimes if she had the time to spare, she would invite me to her movie nights and outings and from there on I befriended the others. I was good friends with everyone on the team except Spencer, we weren't on bad terms or anything, but things were rocky, I had no doubt that he trusted me as a team member. Perhaps he just needed more time to consider me as anything more than that.

Everyone slept soundly in the bau jet as we headed back for Quantico. The team had been in Wisconsin for the past 6 days trying to chase down an unsub that had been kidnapping teenagers and sending letters to their parents written in their blood. This case was mentally and physically draining. I was sitting next to Morgan, who was sound asleep with his headphones on, occasionally stirring in his sleep, uneasy, he had taken a couple of hits chasing the unsub with JJ. The unsub might've gotten away if it wasn't for Spencer literally throwing himself at the unsub to subdue him. He may not look(or be) the most physically fit person on the team, but over the years during his time working for the FBI, he'd been more than able to stand his ground.

I couldn't fall asleep on the flight back so I thought I might as well make some coffee, as I was preparing the pot, I glanced around the jet and locked eyes with a certain Curly haired genius with a book in his hand, he looked like he'd woken up not long ago, I held up the pot in my hand as a way of asking him if he'd like some and he simply nodded with a tight lipped smile. I grabbed both of our coffees and set his down on the table infront of him.

"Thank you, Y/N, I thought you'd be asleep"

"I was, but Morgan keeps stirring in his sleep, and that woke me up, what about you? What's keeping you up? I figured you'd crash the second we boarded the jet, you must be exhausted"

"My side hurts from earlier so I can't find a comfortable position to sleep in, I'm just waiting to be back in Quantico so I can hopefully rest at home"

"Do you want- uh- would you want to sit here instead? I know the plane lands in the next 20 minutes and we're already almost there but-"

"I'd like that, thank you, Dr. Reid"

"Spencer"

"What?"

"Call me Spencer, if you'd like, Reid feels too formal, like we're nothing more than co-workers" he almost whispered the last bit ,there was a hint of disappointment written all over his face.

Was he...upset that I didn't call him Spencer?

"Okay, Spencer, I am just used to calling you Reid, has a nice ring to it, and for the record, I don't consider you as just a guy I work with, you're more than that" I smiled at him. "You can go back to your book if you want, we don't have to talk or anything"

"Oh okay" he looked as if he wanted to say something else but decided against it and reached out for his book instead

We sat in silence as he went back to his book and I leaned back in my seat and shut my eyes, the silence wasn't awkward, the silence was comfortable.

After landing, everyone filed into the bullpen as Penelope greeted us all with warm hugs.

"Everyone take the weekend off, I'll see you on Monday, Morgan, Reid, take care and let me know if you need anything"

Reid headed to his desk to grab a few things and I stayed behind, waiting for him.

"You haven't left yet?" He questioned me as he approached the elevator

"I was just waiting for you, we take the same train home so I figured we could head back together"

"I'd really like that" Spencer smiled at me.

I don't just want to walk him to the station, I really want to walk him home, just for my peace of mind, I don't know why, I just do

"You just missed your stop" He asked me as the doors closed on what should've been the stop I got off on everyday. "Are you walking me home?"

"...Is it okay if I do that? I mean it's not that I'm worried that you can't get back on your own with you being hurt, it's just that for my peace of mind-"

You're rambling, Y/N, big time

"Y/N, it's okay, I really appreciate you doing that, it's very thoughtful of you" he cut me off

We walked towards his apartment building as we talked about our plans for the weekend, Reid decided to stay in this weekend and recover while I will probably be spending the next two days doing movie nights with Penelope or meeting up with JJ.

We came to a halt as he stopped infront of a building I presumed he lived at, I actually had no idea where he lived until this moment.

"Well, this is me"

"Okay, have a nice weekend,okay? If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call, I am serious, I live close by anyways"

"Would you like to- uh- Do you want to come upstairs?" Reid looked at me expectedly.

"I wouldn't want to intrude, besides you should definitely get some sleep, Reid- Spencer, you've had a long day"

"I have a strong cup of caffeine in my system, I'm tired, yes, but I'm nowhere near sleeping, we can order take out, my treat, besides, some company would be nice, your company would be nice, if you want to ofcourse, don't feel compelled to say yes"

"I'd like that, thank you, Spencer, but please don't hesitate to tell me if you change your mind and want to sleep instead or want to be left alone."

We headed up to his apartment and he set up an old Silent movie for us to watch, enjoying the takeout, we got so caught up in talking that I didn't even realize how late it had gotten, we were on our second movie before I heard the silent snoring and looked over to my side to see Spencer fast asleep,I finished the rest of the movie and got up from the couch to clear the table and throw away the take out boxes, I reached into his go-bag and took out a blanket he sometimes carried with him and placed it over him.

He looks so angelic when he sleeps, so peaceful

As if sensing me staring at him, his eyes fluttered open and embarrassment flushed his face as he realized he had fallen asleep while I was still over.

He turned his head and locked at the clock, 01:23

"How long was I out? I am so sorry , I had trouble sleeping the past few days and when it finally came to me it just had to be when you were here."

"Hey, don't worry, it's fine, really, you looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn't want to wake up, I'll be out of your hair now"

"It's late right now, Y/N, it isn't safe for you to go out alone ,not that I'm in any way hinting that you can't take care of yourself, you could throw Morgan over your shoulder if you really wanted to or Two Morgans for that matter but the point is, I don't want you to go-" he let out a sigh and looked down at his hands that rested on his lap. "If I asked you to stay, would you? I hadn't slept this well in a while and I'm sorry if that's weird but-"

I cut him off "point me to the bathroom, I have a fresh set of clothes in my go-bag that I can change into"

This man must have been more exhausted than I thought he was because he was asleep again as I stepped out of the bathroom, as I leaned down to wake him up to sleep on the bed instead, I glanced at my phone that had a new notification, from Spencer

Please take the bed, make yourself at home and turn off your alarms for the morning, Goodnight Y/N

P.s thank you for staying with me tonight, it means a lot"

I poured a glass of water and placed it on the table next to the couch, incase he wakes up thirsty and headed for the bedroom.

Goodnight Spencer, Sweet Dreams.

His bed was so comfortable that it wasn't long before I slipped into a blissful sleep.

[mind-empty-just-fictional-people]

The Art of Stealth

masterlist

summary: jason doesn’t seem to understand the art of sneaking into your dorm room quietly

pairing: jason teague x female reader

rating: R for language

word count: 0.9k

warnings: none really, language, bed sharing, jason being adorable, tooth rotting fluff

timeline: set before the show, so no real spoilers

author’s note: i looove this character so much and i really wish he was in more than 20 episodes :,,)

You and Jason started dating when you were Sophomores in High School. You were there for him each football game to cheer from the bleachers, and when he got accepted to Metropolis University you were both overjoyed. When you also got accepted, Jason was that much more excited about going to college.

Suddenly all the trips back to Smallville he’d been mapping out had no need to be taken and he could simply see you on campus.

Jason was part of a fraternity with his teammates, but you hadn’t joined a sorority. So, Jason would sneak into your dorm room. However, he wasn’t very good at the actual sneaking part.

**

A loud crash woke you up and you grabbed the baseball bat from under your bed. You were ready to whack the shadowy figure that had climbed through your window when you heard his voice.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Jason groaned. “God, you need to put some pillows under the window or something.”

“Jason? What the hell are you doing?”

“Visiting my girlfriend? So we can sleep in the same bed?” He stood up, a smile on his face. “What? It’s Saturday, everyone’s sleeping in and no one will notice I’m in here!”

“You’re adorable, but if you get caught in the girl’s wing you could get expelled!”

“You kidding? Who could expel this adorable face?” He was still smiling as you turned on your light and tossed the bat onto your bed.

“How do you look so cute right now? You just fell into my room!” you laughed a little.

“Awe you love me, don’t you?”

“I really do.” You got on your tiptoes and wrapped your arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his full lips. “So much.”

**

You were studying for an upcoming test when you heard a rushed knock at your door. You slowly got up from your chair and walked to the door, the knock continuing up until you opened the door.

“Oh my god, Jason!” you gasped and pulled him into the room quickly. “What the hell?”

“What?” he asked, furrowing his brows and smiling.

“It’s after nine and a weekday! You can’t be here! Did anyone see you? God damn it, Jason if I have to bribe the girl across the hall again I-” He cut you off by grabbing your face and kissing you. “Alright, you’re forgiven.”

“I think I’m getting better at this whole sneaking around thing, though,” he said, walking over to your bed and sitting down. “I’m like ninety-five percent sure no one saw me.” He leaned back and grinned before someone knocked on the door. You motioned for Jason to hide, so he rolled onto the floor.

You opened the door and were met with your smiling neighbor, “Hey Casey, wha- what’re you doing here?”

“I saw Jason come in here, Y/n,” she said flatly. She held out her hand with a smile. “C’mon, girl’s gotta eat!”

“This is so unfair! I see your girlfriend going into your room every night!” you said. You went to your dresser to grab five dollars.

“The perks of being a lesbian, Y/n!” Casey smirked when you handed her the money. “You should try it sometime.” You closed the door.

“Jason, you can come back out,” you told him before he slid out from under the bed.

“You know you’ve got like ten pairs of panties under here?” He smiled up at you from the carpet. You rolled your eyes and held out your hand which he took and used to heave himself off the floor. “Love you,” he said and kissed you.

“Next time I’m sneaking into your place,” you mumbled.

“Ooh no!” He shook his head. “House full of horny guys that might combust if they see you in your tiny pj’s? No thanks, sweetheart.”

“Well then, just slide five dollars under Casey’s door before knocking on mine tomorrow, okay?” you laughed.

**

“Good morning,” you mumbled, snuggling into Jason’s chest. Your eyes suddenly flew open. “Oh my god!”

“Shit,” Jason sighed.

“Shit is right! Hurry up and climb out the window!” you exclaimed, pulling the covers off of him and standing up. “I am not getting expelled just because you haven’t grasped the art of sneaking in and out of my bedroom!”

“Wouldn’t it be smarter to just act like I came here early in the morning?” he asked. He stood up and put his pants on from the night before. “If anyone asks, you can say you had to help me study?”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” You nodded a little, looking into his bright green eyes. You then shook your head, “Wait, no it doesn’t! Stop giving me that look that makes me do anything for you and just hurry out of here before someone sees you!”

He grinned, “You really are a sucker for this smile, aren’t you?”

“I really, really am so please get out of this room before I fold and jump back into bed with you!”

“I love you,” he said before he kissed you. He then put his shirt on, kissed you again, and climbed out the window. “See you in class, my love!” He peeked his head into your room and you kissed him one last time before he left for good and you closed the window.

“My love?” You scrunched up your face a little. “Who talks like that?” You laughed lightly then groaned to yourself, “god damn it, I love him so much!”

[providing-leverage]

1x01 the Nigerian Job

the first scene really establishes who Nate is: hotel bar, he'll punch you for bringing up his son

The introduction flashback scenes are so good (Eliot's is so dramatic)

Parker lived in Kansas City as a kid??

20 pounds of crazy in a five pound bag

I don't understand how the vents at the top of roofs work

Basketball playoffs almost blowing the whole job

Why the sink in the hall????

"That's what I do." Hardison nodding appreciatively

Nate begging them to talk to him but later he won't be able to get them to shut up

All the plans! No plan M though

The boys turning their backs in the elevator despite Parker not caring if they see her change

Eliot's Boston accent when they get to the lobby

Nate pulling up in the car for their first getaway scene, which is paralleled in the season finale

"You're the only one who's ever played both sides" Eliot are you accusing him of betrayal or being bisexual

The way they all act in the hospital is very telling about who they are: Eliot cuffed to a chair instead of a bed and immediately noticing Nate's hatred of hospitals, Parker of course already freed herself, Hardison sitting cross legged on his bed and trying to talk Parker into getting him out too

"He tried to kill us" "More importantly, he didn't pay us"

"The hell's a Sophie?"

Yes I read MacBeth in school but I go an academic team question about it correct because of the MacBeth scene in this episode

Sophie is the embodiment of "you don't have to be good at your hobby to enjoy it"

The way her flashback scene is also Nate's

Nate cannot stop smiling when talking to Sophie

"Let's go break the law just one more time!"

Eleventy billion dollars

"I'm thinking Nigerians. Yeah, Nigerians will do nicely." Walks away without another word, establishing the running gag of him doing so

I just noticed that Nate is wearing his original headset still instead of Hardison's earbuds, unlike the rest of the crew

This episode also sets up the trend of the marks setting their own trap by calling the authorities themselves and being shocked when they get arrested instead

I always thought the young guy with Dubinich was his assistant or something but based on the meeting I think he's the head engineer? He looks like twenty years old?

The fact that they actually are Nigerians (when watching for the first time I was so confused where they got other grifters to help them out)

The FBI agent's face when Dubenich runs away is so exasperated

"Sir I can take your underpants" why is this agent my new favorite minor character (other than Liam and Connor of course)

The shredded paper raining down on the FBI agents + the crew doing their walk out

Their true goal being to just crash the stock (Hardison is so good at what he does)

"Somebody kiss this man so I don't have to"

Repeating their lines from the beginning but less convinced about forgetting each other this time

I am forever a fan of the overhead walkaway shot

Alternative revenue stream

"People like that, corporations like that, they have all the money. They have all the power and they use it to make people like you go away. Right now you're suffering under an enormous weight. We provide...Leverage."

[number1rizgukgakstan]

FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR EPISODE 18 LIVEBLOG

It's that time again! Spoilers below the cut!

The only CW being underage drinking + drug use is fascinating- I assume that means no one dies? At least, not like Buddy did.

I'm SO excited looking at that set it's so fucking cool. The crackling in the fake clouds? HOLY SHIT the modeling team went OFF I love their work.

I FORGOT JAWBONE'S THERE. AND SO IS EUGENIA. This is so insane I'm so excited.

"Airitime law" God I love you so much Zach you are SO FUNNY

The WHOLE school is here that's so funny. Does this mean the clubs Riz joined are going to come into play?? GERTIE??? GERTIE???? HEY GERTIE???

The divine domain idea is so fascinating but I would like to say- imagine worshiping a god named Porter. I'm crying laughing.

CURSED GOLD PIECE??? FUCK YEAH GO FOR IT FABIAN

RAGH IS HERE??? FUCK YEAH!

Okay we're getting the NPCS set up? Fuck yeah

FIG NO WHY ARE YOU WANDA CHILDA???? THATS SO FUNNY. Gerard Neigh I'm CRYING. I love Armor of Ayda and the Spirit Guardians.

VULTURE KING LIVER + TALON FOR FABIAN In BAD! BABY! MILK!

WHY IS GORGUG SWALLOWING THE HEART LIKE A PILL??? INSANE

EAT THE FEATHER??? FIG YOU DON"T HAVE TO EAT IT ITS JUST WHEN BROKEN [sobs]

"You're wearing an Orangutang mask and the skull of the Vulture King?"

"And I'm speaking Vulture.

"And you're speaking Vulture."

Adaine is so brilliant I love her.

K2 giving Kristen basically a whole extra turn is so funny. We love K2.

They have so many spells prepared I love it. Fabian's party sounds sick as hell. Even the Bad Baby milk sounds fun. Disgusting but fun.

I feel like using the NMK against Kristen is a bad idea but will have terrible consequences for Kristen, who's silly goofyness has been coming back to bite them. IDK we'll see

Fabian faking it till he makes it is SO FUNNY.

Baby and Baby Baby being here's so fucking funny. Let's go Baby and Baby Baby!

Fabian's HOUSE burning down would be devastating but maybe it'd make his mother come home

CANNONS!!! PUT BABY BABY ON THE CANNONS

They have to DO ELECTIONS and RUN THE PARTY WHILE FIGHTING??? BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN THIS IS INSANE I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

Kristen and K2 helping Riz load the canon is so wholesome. They're such a great team

NOOOO FABIAN HAS THE PACMAN TATTOO [laughing crying] RIP

1/4th of the party voting in one turn is absurd. Fabian's charisma is INSANE i love this man and his conga line

Jawbone once again completely out of the loop and just going with it is great.

I now see why Sprak has his own art.

The music video idea was genuis. Emily Axford is such a quick thinker and her performance as Fig is top-knotch.

Oisin summoning dragons breaks my heart. NOOO you were so cool :( now Adaine has to Furious Fist Mega Punch you to death

This fight is honestly so fucking metal. The music video, Fabian killing a dragon singlehandidly, Riz murdering two with the canons, all the Dex saves, Gorgug's excellent driving, JAWBONE, the voting drive... honestly I'm so proud of the Bad Kids and how far they've come.

ANOTHER GORGUG NAT 20 HOLY SHIT! Zac's really fucking it up right now. 7d12 is absurd

Wanda Childa running the party is so insane and I love it. It's Emily Axford's world and we're just living in it.

Eugenia Shadow is amazing. Best NPC by far.

"Can I bring a vulture to give me the help action?" absurd request. brennan's face was brilliant. Again: ITS EMILY AXFORD'S WORLD AND WE'RE JUST LIVING IN IT.

The fight. Every moment was incredible. They really did slay those god damn dragons. No one had to make a single death save. The party was popping. Fig was constantly being the fucking COOLEST. Fabian telling Gorgug not to crash his parent's boat. Eugenia Shadow telling Riz he's the best student she's ever had. It was brilliant. Excellent.

"Sorry Oisin, shouldn't have been such a douchebag, we're gonna kill your grandma now" BRILLIANT. 10/10. I love it.

AS SOON AS SHE SAID DIVINE INTERVENTION I FUCKING CHEERED. K2 DIES TO SAVE THE WORLD BY SAYING "BLIMEY" NOT FUCKING CLICKBAIT.

Zac doing the dm bit is so funny.

K2 not knowing shit and pulling off a miracle is such pure Kristen its so fucking brilliant. THE UNCERTAINTY OF MAYBE BEING PREGNANT IS INSANE. I love Ally Beardsley.

Brennan's reaction to the pregnancy bit is so fucking funny. They broke this man's spirit in the funniest way possible.

"Haunted Wizard Clone Mini Golf Lightning Extravaganza" is the single funniest string of words imaginable. Brennan Lee Mulligan you are my favorite comedian ever.

"How much of this can we cut out, do you think?" Ally this is your bed, you have to lie in it, I'm so sorry. Funniest roll of all time.

WE ALMOST GOT THE GOLD TORNADO?? NOOOOOO.

Circling back, the flavor of Armor of Ayda is so cute. Ayda's protection is always over Fig no matter where she is.

THEY FUCKING DID IT GANG! Now for the penultimate battle! :]

The previews are making me go insane. RATGRINDERS FIGHT RATGRINDERS FIGHT RATGRINDERS FIGHT!

"I think I have to try" is making me so fucking excited. WHAT ARE YOU TRYING FIG????

LETS FUCKING GO! NEXT WEEK BABYYYYYY

[deliciousdefendorinternet]

a few more possible episode ideas for another show.

its Floyd's Birthday and the brothers are all excited to plan a big surprise party for him JD Bruce and Clay all excitedly decorate the place with stuff they know Floyd likes and talk about their personalised gifts for him.

meanwhile Branch's excited smile slowly fades as he realises he doesn't actually remember anything that Floyd liked or any of the other bros due to being too young when they left.

anyway long story short at Floyd's party after he acts grateful to the others for their gifts and ideas Branch gets embarrassed since he didn't even know where to start and he leaves the party.

Floyd goes after Branch to talk on their own and when Branch tells him what's up and that he somewhat feels like a stranger in his own family due to how young he was when they left.

so he doesn't really remember anything specific about them but Floyd light-heartedly lets him in on a secret that he actually doesn't like any of that stuff anymore.

he just didn't say anything cause he didn't wanna hurt his brothers feelings and ruin the moment when really he's just happy that he's celebrating this birthday with them all back together.

but the simple fact is the things his brothers are all remembering are from over 20+ years ago when he was a young teenager he's changed almost completely since then.

and so have the rest of them except for JD lol but with all the others they've all been slowly realising that they aren't the same people who they last saw when they were teenagers.

and there's been plenty of trial and error Branch just hasn't noticed it so their all fairly new to each other due to their time apart.

but that isn't ever gonna change unless they take the time to get to know each other in the present.

so they both agree to go back to the party and make more of an effort.

2. another one is where Branch ends up hearing maybe from these bird creatures he talks to where he kinda has a long wide communication network set up all in the name of safety of course.

and one of his Bird contacts tells him that they talked to another creature that witnessed Chef's death at the end of the first film.

since ya know the last time our main characters saw her she was tumbling down the hill with her butt stuck in the cooker while on fire so they didn't actually see her get eaten like we the audience did.

so they assumed she was likely still alive all this time up until now anyway the news of her confirmed death makes Branch go around the village in a very joyous mood.

singing for no reason handing out snacks to random people and just being very cheery Poppy tries to ask him if he wants to talk about anything but Branch says what would he want to talk about?

he's happier than he's ever been anyway Poppy tells his brothers behind his back that she's worried about him but they don't really see it and think he's just reasonably happy over finding out a crappy person got their just desserts.

anyway Branch goes even more over the top in his happy shenanigans saying they should all throw a big party in the village to celebrate with a giant banner reading

"" ding dong the witch is dead ""

anyway despite poppy being even more worried and all of the brothers actually starting to feel a little worried as well except for JD who thinks the parties a great idea. 😂😂😂😂

the big party goes ahead and Branch gets pretty wasted ( on sugar ) and gets up onto stage to make a big speech with Poppy very nervously trying to talk him down since he's clearly crashing.

but Branch after saying a few things that makes everyone uncomfortable stops and thinks to himself and then kinda takes a deep breath and speaks more from the heart.

he says that he spent practically all of his life afraid and hurt and even as he got better he always thought that certain things would fix him or make him feel more whole.

but despite Chef being dead and even despite them all being at peace with the Bergens now he still feels just as afraid as he used to and he still feels the pain he's lived with his whole life.

he thought knowing she was gone would kinda close the book on that part of his life and wrap it all up in a neat little bow and allow him to finally move on completely.

but he just felt the exact same as he always has done and he kinda went into denial over it trying to convince himself everything was better for him now.

3. this one was inspired by an idea j-ad1 had in the comments section of one of my Gary posts anyway the plot is that.

the Bros get annoyed/kinda wierded out by how Branch takes Gary with him everywhere and is constantly smugly chattering on and on about the things Gary can do to the point the Bros find it very annoying and also kinda weird.

so they take Gary in the middle of the night and maybe try to play it off as some kinda animal that broke into the Bunker and dragged him away or something.

their hoping that even if Branch will be a little annoyed at first he'll quickly get over it and kinda cure him of his weird obsession with an inanimate object.

only for Branch to begin an obsessive search for Gary to the point he becomes even more unhinged and eventually even breaks down over it which his bros didn't expect they just sorta thought he'd be a little annoyed that he was lost but then he'd get over it and move on.

so it actually surprises them to see him so genuinely upset over Gary's absence and maybe his brothers even ask why it means so much to him and he finally tells them about how Gary was what comforted him during the years he spent hiding away.

when he had no one else and he made him feel safe whenever he was afraid which knowing Branch was nearly every single day given how paranoid he was over the Bergens finding them.

and it made him feel like he did have some sorta family around him back when he had no one and that yeah he knows some people think its kinda weird.

despite his rep as the village's crazy person he isn't actually entirely oblivious to how it looks.

anyway to end the episode I'd have Bro zone realise they were wrong and they go to retrieve Gary from the place they Dumped him only to realise he actually has been taken by a pack of animals this time.

and they actually have to go to a bit of effort retrieving him from the pack of animals getting themselves a bit torn up in the process and in the end they give Gary back to Branch and he's so grateful that they got him back which makes the bros feel pretty bad.

and they fess up to what they did and apologise with maybe the episode ending on a bit of a comedic note of them promising to do whatever it takes to make it up to Branch.

and it ends with him making them do really hard chores around his Bunker while Gary watches on in a chair with a nice little drink to his side. 😂😂😂😂

[justletmeramble1701]

Has anyone talked about how each of the three specials represents the three eras if NuWho (as in the three showrunners)?

The Star Beast felt like a classic Russel T Davis era introduction. The doctor disrupts the companion's boring domestic life, introducing them to a new, exciting, and very dangerous life. While, yes, this is the story of most NuWho companions, but Russell's version focused on how boring mundanity is (his companions are thrill seekers, especially Rose and Donna) and the companion's familiar life, which this episode does with the reintroduction of the Noble's.

It also has a "Davis-ex-machina", but all three episodes have that, so I'm not gonna mention it.

Wild Blue Yonder felt like a Moffat idea box (a dark fairy tale/cosmic horror). High concept scares or ideas that force the Doctor to drop his mask and confront truths about himself. I'm specifically thinking of series 6, where The Doctor relearns responsibility by the strange and usually terrifying situations he falls into, dragging his companions along for the ride. In this story, the Doctor is reminded how beaten down they are, setting us up for the conclusion in the finally. It's basically this Doctor's "The God Complex"! While this is how the franchise does character development, it feels uniquely Moffat because of its horror influence (its "Alien" and "The Thing") and the level at which it explains itself (it explains as much as it needs to have a monster with a gimmick, but not too much that they stop being scary - and also in a way that confuses most people).

It also has seemingly innocuous lines that are actually horrifying in context. "My arms are too long..." feels so much like "Are you my mummy," "Don't blink," and "Who turned out the lights," but it lacks the ability to be repeated more than once, so it can't become the quote for the creature. Instead of a singular quote, the episode goes for a series of chilling one-liners ("Oh, we get hungry, don't we..." being a great example).

The Giggle had that late Chibnall charm. Bringing back past elements in highly action-packed finales or specials to attempt to excite or "wow" the audience. While it pulls things out of nowhere to keep the plot going, you don't care because of how much fun you are having! I was specifically thinking about "The Power of the Doctor" while watching it. Half a "Flux" worth of ideas crammed into an episode, but with just enough fun, character, and heart that you allow it to do whatever. Let the episode drive you in whichever direction it needs to go to reach the destination, trusting that it won't get lost or crash. While this is, basically, the concept of the show (remember, we are watching a walking deus ex machina in their magic plot generating box, waiving their magic wand around until it is time for them to solve the problem), it feels like Chibnall because of how compact it is. Like I said, this has enough ideas that it could have been all three specials.

The thing that sets these three specials apart from the last three eras is the power dynamic between the Doctor and their companion. 14 and Donna are equals. While Donna is being reintroduced to the extraordinary, 14 is being reintroduced to the mundane. While Donna is trying to escape from the lovecraftian creature they've encountered, the Doctor is right beside her, scared of what they shouldn't comprehend (the episode even punishing them for their comprehension). While Donna is being toyed with by a dark god, the laws of reality failing her, the Doctor is facing the same, at the wim of an entity that operates by a different set of rules. The Doctor and their companion, their friend, is finally operating on the same playing field as them, which means that, by extension, so are we.

Donna, like all companions, represents the audience, but, in these stories, she specifically represents the fans of the last 20 of Doctor Who. The ones that grew up watching NuWho. We are older now, still as loud and snarky as ever, but we are adults now. Just like Donna, we have lives, responsibilities. We can't experience the world (or the program) the way we once did. Even though the adventures never truly end, it is our turn to join the previous generation (reprented by Mel) watch the next batch of whovians discover this exciting universe for the first time, our Doctor by our side.

This was the best conclusion to NuWho that we could've hoped for!

[memyselfandmya]

JWCT PROMPT COUNTDOWN

Jwct countdown May 20-21 -> favorite jwcc season/episode:

My favorite episode is the Long Run for obvious reasons. Have I written that one yet? No. My second favorite is The core for even more obvious reasons. Did I write that one? Nope. So which of my favorite episodes have I written, you ask. My third favorite: Welcome to Jurassic World.

Here's an excerpt:

There’s a ringing in Yasmina’s ears when her vision begins creeping its way back. She can just make out the tree that the van crashed into and her arms laying heavy on the steering wheel. Her mouth tastes metallic and her head is pounding. 

The car hisses as steam emerges from the crushed hood and it could be about to set on a fire and explode. Yaz doesn’t know much about cars but she does know that if it were to catch fire at that moment, she wouldn’t be able to care. Because Sammy lied to her. 

Behind her, she can make out distant groans as everyone else comes to their senses. Darius is the first to speak. “Is everybody okay?” 

A hysterical laugh begins to work its way up her throat at the absurdity of the question. “Is everyone—” she chuckles and shoves the car door open, stumbling out of the vehicle haphazardly. 

All Yasmina knows is that she needs to get out of there, to get away from the stabbing in her chest that she had worked so hard to keep away. She needs to get away. It feels like she’s going to die.

Sammy lied to her. 

“Yaz, wait! Yasmina!” 

Sammy’s voice behind her makes everything in Yaz’s body tighten. She can hear everybody tumbling out of the van, Bumpy’s unrelenting squealing, and the nervous energy of the jungle that surrounds them. Her mind’s racing. And then there’s Sammy. 

She should have never trusted Sammy and she should have never come to this god damned park in the first place. How could she be so stupid? Saying Sammy stabbed her in the back feels so cliché but that’s exactly what it was. She had smiled and lied right to Yasmina’s face only to pull this—

All she can do is keep walking. “We are not okay!” She finally spits out. 

Sammy lied. 

“Yaz—”

“We're in the middle of a jungle with a monster dinosaur out there, and you…” She spins around. Sammy, who has caught up with her, rears back with a soft gasp. When she heard the way Sammy had calmed down that baby Sinoceratops, Yasmina thought she could trust her. A girl with a heart of gold and wouldn’t hurt a fly. But as she looks at Sammy now, at the lies she told, everything she wants to say dies in her throat. “You…”

The look in Yaz’s eyes makes Sammy want to cry. She can see the anger and the hurt that hides behind it etched in her grit teeth and narrowed eyes. Worst of all, it was Sammy who brought it there. She’s always had a way of messing good things up, hasn't she?

“You stole my phone and lied about it!” Brooklyn shouts. “I knew it, I told all of you.”

Sammy winces. 

Her secret’s out. 

Her secret is out and everybody knows that she’s a spy.

And Yaz. 

Yaz won't even look at Sammy, now. How would Sammy ever be able to make it up to her? She had never meant for anything to go this far. It was supposed to be simple. That’s what Mantah Corp told her. Nobody was supposed to get hurt, least of all Yaz. She just had to collect samples and gather information. Where did she go wrong—how had she managed to mess it all up? And more importantly, how is she going to fix it?

“So you did take Brooklynn’s phone?” Darius asks. “Why? What were you doing?”

“Probably trying to erase my video of her taking those samples from the Sinoceratops,” says Brooklynn before Sammy can even respond. She gasps and Sammy winces, knowing things are only getting worse. Brooklynn creeps closer to Sammy, waving her shattered phone around. “And you knew about the Indominus rex, because you were snooping around Dr. Wu's office when I ran into you. I knew it!”

The satisfaction in Brooklynn’s voice stings, as if she had wanted Sammy to be the villain she thought she was all along. She swallows thickly. “I didn’t mean to destroy the phone. I fell on it when the zipline came down and—”

“But you did steal it?” Ben asks, kneeling in the grass with Bumpy. The disappointment in his voice is crushing. “You had it that whole time and didn’t tell us?”

Darius frowns. “Hold up. What were you doing in Dr. Wu's office, Brooklynn?”

“I…” The girl in question looks like a deer caught in headlights. Sammy hadn’t even thought to question what she had been doing there too. “It doesn't matter. I didn't break our only way to call for help and then lie about it!”

The attention’s back on Sammy again, all eyes looking to her. They don’t understand. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. 

Brooklynn’s voice grows louder and more frustrated. “This is not my fault! This is her fault! She—”

“I’m here to spy,” Sammy finally says in a rush of breath. Number one rule, don’t tell anyone you’re a spy but Sammy has already broken so many rules so she gives it to them. The truth—the real truth—is out. There’s no going back now, she realizes, as everyone’s face contorts into expressions of shock and Yaz finally spares her a glance. Sammy folds her arms across her chest and digs her nails into her skin. “For a company called Mantah Corp.”

[em-ira]

@lilmcttens

The Human Realm Adventures of the Blight Twins AU

This story starts on The Day Of Unity.

The Owl House Season 2, Episode 20,

"Clouds On The Horizon".

It follows the events of the episode, but from the point of view of Emira Blight.

This story veers away from the Canon when Emira and Edric discover something that their father, Alador, had been working on in his work room....

The story starts here...

It was a total accident, me getting here. Wherever 'here' is?

Our attempts to steal Kikimora's Airship while the crew were arranging to load the next shipment of Abomatons to take to the arena were dashed when Mom set two of them to catch me and Ed.

Dang! I should have realized that she was using her Oracle powers to watch what we were doing!

As we were carried up to The Manor, we could see that the others were also caught.

A depressing sight.

The Abomatons delivered us to our rooms, standing guard outside.

More guards were outside, so trying to escape by the window was out!

Luckily, the connecting door between the rooms still worked, so we could sit together, and talk about what might happen next.

Suddenly, there was a series of explosions coming from the factory.

At first, we thought that maybe Mittens and the others had succeeded in getting free.

Then, as we watched, something big crashed out through the roof of one of the buildings, and flew off towards The Head.

A short while later, Ed pointed at the Abomatons outside the Manor. They had stopped moving, and looked like they were shutting down.

Cautiously, we tried the door.

The Abomaton outside the door had shut down!

Sensing that this was our chance, me and Ed made a break for it, and ran downstairs, out the front door, heading down to the Factory.

We were nearing the Factory, when the Airship took off, rapidly disappearing in the direction of The Head.

We ran to see what had happened to Mittens and the others, but there was no sign of life.

We went looking for Dad, and the others.

But he wasn't in his work room.

We searched the entire Factory, it took ages, but there was no sign of anyone.

We came to the conclusion that they must have all been on board that Airship!

Then the eclipse went into totality.

We stood there, unable to take our eyes away from the weirdly Glowing moon.

The light was strange too. Like dusk in the middle of the day!

Without warning, a beam of light emerged from the area of the Arena, and seemed to surround the Moon.

It was hypnotizing.

Then something totally weird happened!

It looked like the moon suddenly jumped sideways!

We hid our eyes from the sudden brightness of the sun.

Then there was a distant rumble in the air, and, looking towards The Head, parts of it seemed to be exploding!

We ran back to Dad's workshop. Looking for anything to give us a clue to what had happened.

Nothing but empty snack bags, and part empty Abomination Casks. Bits and pieces everywhere.

There was this sheet, covering something big against the wall.

We uncovered it, and it was a door.

I joked with Ed, as to where this doorway went to and opened the door, I was only going to look, but I ended up going through it.

There was a bright light, and I fell forward, landing on an old wooden floor, in a building.

The door slammed shut as soon as I was through.

I got up, and tried opening the door.

It opened to reveal a dark, wooded area, and it was raining!

So, I closed the door, I wasn't going out in the Boiling Rains!

I sat down on a chair, and tried to calm myself down.

Where the Titan was this place, and how could I get back home?

Then, I heard footsteps approaching the door, from outside!

I looked around, for somewhere to hide.

No time to be picky, I just had to hide behind that chair!

So~now I'm waiting for whoever, or whatever, is coming to come through the door.

[disneytva]

Disney Streaming Services Brings "Hulu's Animayhem" Experience to SDCC With 20th Television Animation

Disney is bringing it to life through a massive fan experience that invites attendees to the 2-D world of some of its most famous adult animations. They're calling it "Hulu Animayhem: Enter the 2nd Dimension".

Hulu Animayhem: Enter the 2nd Dimension will be in the Bayfront Parking Lot July 20-23, and allows fans of Futurama, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, and more to interact with their favorite animated series and characters from 20th Television Animation.

“Solar Opposites”: INSIDE THE WALL (Hulu Original/20th Television Animation)

ZAP! Yumyulack has done it again. As fans enter the 2nd Dimension, they find themselves shrunken down and tossed into the beloved Wall, in this larger than life experience.

Season four premieres on August 14, 2023 with 10 episodes, followed by a Valentine’s Day Special coming in 2024.

“The Great North”: ALANIS BOREALIS (FOX/20th Television Animation)

Fans will step into the expansive Alaskian landscape to join Judy Tobin as she asks for life advice from her imaginary best friend and famed 90’s singer/songwriter Alanis Morrisette. A projected Alanis constellation will appear in the sky and fans can witness the fun, playful interactions between the characters (and maybe even pick up some tips themselves!). 

“American Dad”: HALL OF INFINITE ROGERS (FOX/20th Television Animation)

The CIA’s most wanted alien has endless disguises. As fans continue to make their way through the experience, they get a look into just how infinite Roger’s collection of disguises really is! 

“Family Guy”: 360 TIME TRAVEL & LIVING ROOM (FOX/20th Television Animation)

Step on Stewie’s infamous Time Travel Pad and take a trip through the 2nd Dimension with this unique photo opp.

Guests can also grab a photo on the iconic couch or just sit back and stay awhile as they enjoy the magnitude of Hulu Animayhem content Hulu has to offer.

“Archer”: WALL OF AGENCY HEROS (FX)

Playing homage to Archer’s opening credits, fans can step in to join the cast in this iconic photo moment.

“The Simpsons”: LIVING ROOM (FOX/Disney+/20th Television Animation)

The iconic living room has landed in front of the giant Hulu Animayhem TV. Guests can grab a photo or sit and stay awhile as they enjoy all the content Hulu has to offer.

“Bob’s Burgers”: GRAND RE-RE-RE OPENING (FOX/20th Television Animation)

Fans of Bob’s Burgers won’t be able to resist bellying up to the counter and snapping a pic with their favorite animated family – The Belchers.

“Futurama”: FUTURAMA HAS LANDED ON HULU (Hulu Original/20th Television Animation)

Futurama is BACK for a new season and will be debuting as a Hulu Original Monday, July 24! 

The last piece of the activation will feature an incredible 55 ft replica of HQ, along with a crash-landed Planet Express ship. Inside HQ, fans will be able to immerse themselves in the beloved series with a variety of photo moments and immersive set builds.

[kyriolex]

Skibidi Toilet Recap

I thought Skibidi Toilet sounded like sewage when I first heard about it. Then I watched the first 20 episodes and saw the light. This series is a masterclass in exposition and pacing. We learn something new in each video.  

There is a man’s disembodied head in the toilet. His name is Skibidi, and he sings the Skibidi song while making geometrically impossible expressions with his face.

We see miniature dancing people outside an elevator. An elevator...full of urinals. We discover Skibidi has friends who sing acappella with him. One of them has green hair.  

There is a massive Skibidi in a moving toilet the size of a small office building. He sings in slow-mo audio because he is a BIG BOY, and he crushed a human without even noticing. 

Some Skibidis crash a fancy restaurant. They are actively invading the city, not just oblivious. Also this episode reaffirms that BIG BOYS are always surrounded by smaller Skibidis who accompany them like hype men.

We see tanks and helicopters, so we know the government is mounting a defense. A defense against what, you ask? The flying BIG BOYS who spew smaller Skibidis out of their mouths. In case their malice wasn’t obvious, the Imperial March song is also playing to make it extra obvious.

There are people dancing. It’s unclear if the Skibidi’s song is compelling them to dance or not. But we see the POV character - yes, apparently we have a Protagonist - flush a Skibidi down the toilet. The Skibidis can be vanquished! A bunch of other Skibidis burst in to avenge their fallen comrade. Apparently Skibidis have a sense of comradery.

There are a bunch of men marching down the street. Men with security cameras for heads. I’m calling them the Cameramen. They are marching towards the Skibidis, who are racing down the other side of the street. Also a Skibidi attacks the Protagonist because they hold a grudge.

The Skibidis have erected a golden toilet monument in the park. They have conquered enough of the city to replace our heroes with their own likeness. Protagonist kills two nearby Skibidis, then spraypaints a red camera logo on the monument. Security Cameras are no longer the tool of oppressors. They are the sign of rebellion. We know this because a bunch of Skibidis in cop hats immediately come to arrest the protagonist.

The Skibidis have created a church. A BIG BOY in a halo sings the song of his people in a divine tenor. Then some Cameramen come in to attack. The BIG BOY eats one of the Cameramen, but the others flush him down before he can kill again. The Cameramen give Protagonist a thumbs up, proving that he’s not just a fan, but an active member of the rebellion.

We see other species of Cameramen, such as the flying Projector and a giant with a vintage camera for a head. The opposing army has a demon BIG BOY with a horns and a voice so loud the ground shakes.

The BIG BOYS can shoot yellow lasers out of their eyes now.

Oh God the Projectors come in spider mode now. And they have turret guns. They aren’t as strong as a BIG BOY’s lasers though.

There’s a Berserker BIG BOY who moves extra fast and will steamroll his comrades if it means he can kill the Cameramen.

We see a squad of Skibidies. There is one Skibidi in a brown toilet, but most are white. A Cameramen lures the squad down the street with his sick dance moves. Protagonist then blows up the street from his hideout on a building roof. A Skibidi pushes Protagonist off a building. By now it’s obvious Protagonist is like a cockroach - he won’t die.

Protagonist put a camera (or disembodied Cameraman head) in a toilet. He sends the toilet-camera into a Skibidi base, but they recognize the imposter right away. They kill the spy, then send a jumping Skibidi after the protagonist. 

Some Cameramen are spying on some BIG BOY politician. They set up a flying laser to assassinate the politician. The rest of the Skibidis destroy the rebel laser, then immediately come after the Cameramen with BIG BOYs in spider form. It’s obvious they copied the Spider Projectors seen in episode 12. 

One of the larger Cameramen has destroyed the Skibidi monument in the park and is yanking Skibidis out of their toilets. Apparently there are two ways to kill a Skibidi now. Then we see a massive, kaiju-sized cameraman punt some BIG BOYS into a building with his foot. Kaiju Cameraman gives Protagonist a thumbs up. He is the new hope of the Rebellion.

This is only the first FIVE MINUTES and we’ve already got more story and worldbuilding established than some TV seasons.

[black-arcana]

Taylor Momsen Explains ‘Gossip Girl’ Exit on Penn Badgley’s Podcast, Details Pain and Darkness After Best Friend’s Death: It ‘Almost Killed Me’

Break out your headbands, Upper East Siders and Jenny Humphrey stans. Taylor Momsen reunited with “Gossip Girl” star Penn Badgley for the first time since the 2012 series finale of The CW teen drama, appearing on the Sept. 6 episode of “Podcrushed,” Badgley’s SiriusXM podcast with Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari.

During the hour-long episode, the pair reminisced about their time on “Gossip Girl” together; Badgley portrayed Dan Humphrey, while Momsen played his little sister, Jenny, for four seasons. She was just 12 years old when the pilot was shot, and says she didn’t really want to leave her middle school friends — but was “convinced” to do it.

“Larger powers than me came down and went, ‘This is a great opportunity,'” Momsen, now 30, said during the episode, which was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike. It was then, filming the show, that she really leaned into music. “That’s where music became such a solace for me. Thanking back on my life, it was this place where I could just be — writing songs, emoting how I felt. I was by myself a lot. I didn’t have my own clique.”

Of the actors on the show, Momsen, who’d played Cindy Lou Who in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” was the youngest — Badgley was 20 when he got the role of Dan, and most of the actors playing the show’s high-school characters were in their early 20s. Only Connor Paolo, who played Eric, the younger brother of Serena (Blake Lively) was even close to Momsen’s age. “I didn’t fit in with you guys, I didn’t fit in with Connor’s friends — I was younger than them,” Momsen said. “I was the new girl. I was ‘Grinch’ girl. I was always in this kind of weird, isolated world, partially of my own creating, probably.”

Momsen was in a band with her school friends before “Gossip Girl,” then moved to New York for the show, which debuted in 2007. Two years later, she founded The Pretty Reckless, the rock band she leads that’s still together today.

“It was a childhood thing that I got put into at two years old. I wasn’t making my own choices then,” she said of acting. “Literally, as soon as I got to an age where I could make my own decisions, it was like a click… I woke up one morning and went, ‘Wait a second. I don’t have to do this? I don’t have to do this other job? I can just play in my band and tour and write songs? I can just do that?’ Granted, a little more complicated to get out of a television show than that, but the answer was yes.”

With that, she said she “uprooted and changed my life overnight,” with the help of the “Gossip Girl” team.

“They went, ‘Well, we can’t let you out of your deal, but we can write you out of the show, so you can go on tour,'” Momsen said. “They really allowed me to follow my dream, and I’m forever grateful and thankful to them for that.”

Momsen, who admitted she’s never watched the show, was a series regular for the first four seasons of “Gossip Girl.” However, she appeared in only four episodes of the fourth season — due to touring — before her character moved to London. At the time, there were reports of her being difficult on set and let go. When Season 5 premiered, she’d permanently exited the show to focus on music, but came back for the finale, “New York, I Love You XOXO,” which aired in 2012 and featured a song from The Pretty Reckless.

The band just wrapped their “Death by Rock and Roll” tour, during which they promoted an album Momsen wrote after two big deaths in her life. In 2017, Chris Cornell died by suicide on the last night of his band Soundgarden’s tour with The Pretty Reckless. Less than a year later, Momsen’s “fifth band member” and best friend Kato Khandwala died in a motorcycle crash.

“It took me very down. I fell into a very dark hole of depression and substance abuse, and everything that comes with death and loss and trauma,” she said on the podcast. “I essentially quit everything. I stopped making music; I couldn’t listen to music. It bummed me out, for lack of better term. It was dark. It got very dark there for a while.”

Momsen shut herself off from everyone and “fell apart,” but was eventually able to turn to writing new music to honor Khandwala’s legacy. “I’m going to finish what we started, and not let this take me down entirely,” she recalled feeling. “It came very close to that. I had to make a very conscious decision at some point — where I was either gonna die or I was gonna move forward. I chose to move forward.”

Each night on tour, the band walked on stage to audio of Khandwala’s footsteps, which is the opening of the album’s title track. “It took something that was incredibly sad and devastating and almost killed me, and I tried to turn it into my power,” Momsen said. “He’s here with me every night. He’s no longer here but we’re still doing this together.”

[she-karev]

Mother's Day (Andrew DeLuca x Alex Karev's Sister Imagine)

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: Two of Three

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Ship: Andrew DeLuca and Amber Karev

Canon Episode: Season 20 Episode 7

AN: Happy Mother’s Day again guys so this is another chapter that focuses on Andrew DeLuca and Amber Karev on this special occasion. Now I don’t know the timeline of season 20 due to the production being held back a year because of last year’s writers’ protests but I imagine it’s still around 2023 so this is where the chapter is set. I thought the scene between Maya and Beckett when he gave her shots would be more meaningful with Andrew instead especially after her run in with her brother.

Summary: Amber is worried about how she is going to tell her and DeLuca’s daughter about their extended and estranged family.

Words: 6579

May 11, 2023

Amber walks down the hallway of her house in her casual gray shirt, jeans and green utility jacket. She put her hair up in a bun and her makeup is done casual. She enters the kitchen ready to get some coffee when an unexpected surprise comes her way.

“Sorpresa!” Andrew DeLuca yells out from the kitchen table holding their 7-month-old daughter in his arms presenting a plate of crepes with a cup of coffee to the left and a bowl of fresh fruit on the right.

Amber chuckles in delight, “What is this? My half birthday was two months ago.” She sits across from them salivating at the delicious looking French pastry that is filled with whip cream and covered in blueberries.

“Well, it’s Mother’s Day today and we felt like celebrating your first with a gourmet breakfast and.” He hands her a pink construction paper that has hand prints painted over it with pink glitter spilled on in and an I Love You written above showing that Lucy made it with the help of daycare, “A Hallmark level card courtesy of our future artist here.”

Amber smiles at the paper, “Aww well thank you both, oh dang she really loves that pink glitter, doesn’t she?”

Andrew chuckles, “Yeah you gotta see what we’ve been working on for daycare.” He pulls out a large white poster from under the table and on it is a family tree that is normally done for an elementary school project, “We’re doing present your family and let me tell you our little girl really likes crafting especially when she gets to spill pink glitter all over a canvas.” Andrew smiles at Lucy who is eating Gerber puffs, “Hopefully they can read all about your family over the pink glitter bambina. They probably don’t need to since your whole family works at the hospital and everybody knows who is related to who.” Amber’s smile falls as she looks at the tree solemnly which Andrew catches, “What’s wrong?”

Amber inhales and composes herself grinning again, “Nothing I’m just anxious about these crepes you made and hope I don’t die from sugar crashing.” Amber puts the poster away and eats her breakfast with Andrew looking at her worried but goes back to feeding their baby.

Later

After checking Dorian Cardenas’s labs and telling him he is gonna move out of the ICU, DeLuca exits the room with Yasuda and Adams behind him. He goes to a nurse’s station to check his schedule for the day. He has two surgeries for today and he has to go to daycare and present the family tree with Amber and Lucy. He found her behavior after she saw the tree strange and is wondering how to ask her what the issue is. Like he summoned her he sees Amber walking toward him in her baby blue scrubs.

“Hey how’s it going?”

Amber groans, “Well my blissful morning took a disastrous turn when I saw that tree our daughter did.”

Andrew’s eyes widen at that, “Honey she’s not even one you can’t expect her to be Artemisia Gentileschi overnight. Besides I helped so it should be me you're criticizing.”

“No, it’s not about how the tree looked it’s about what was on it or wasn’t.”

Andrew raises an eyebrow still confused, “Amber your gonna have to help me out here.”

Amber sighs, “The only photos there are us, her aunts Carina, Maya, Jo, her uncle Alex and her cousins Luna and Liam. What are we supposed to say about the rest of her family?”

“Ah I see now.” Andrew finally understands and works to relief his wife’s stress, “We’ll just tell her the truth it’s not a big deal.”

Amber narrows her eyes at him, “Okay so do you want to be the one to tell her about her grandfather who killed four patients in a manic state, her grandmother who had a stroke. Oh, and you also can’t forget her other grandfather who died right here in this hospital withdrawing from hard drugs until a tired resident went crazy and butchered his heart in an OR.”

Andrew presses his lips at the dark reminder and looks at Yasuda and Adams behind him who look both shocked and horrified by their family history.

Yasuda clears her throat, “What happened to this crazy resident? Did he get suspended from the OR?” Amber and Andrew look on in annoyance at the interns butting in.

“A guy like that who killed the father of an attending I would think jail or psych ward.” Adams theorizes.

“Well you’re both wrong.” Andrew quickly informs them, “He got offered a job at a state of the art medical research facility out of the country.”

Adams and Yasuda look at them blankly over the cruel irony, “…How come he got that after killing your dad but we didn’t after trying to save a patient?”

The question by Adams pisses Amber off more who glares at him, “Because I wasn’t around to kick his ass or kill him which is what you all are gonna get if you interrupt my private family matter between me and my husband now hush!”

Andrew shakes his head at them and turns to Amber, “You're forgetting your mother.”

Amber chuckles at him darkly and stops abruptly with a frown, “No she does not count. She hasn’t even reached out when I told her about the pregnancy.”

“Maybe because you usually tell that news with a call and not a text to someone who still uses a home phone.” Andrew reminds her.

Yasuda speaks, “Wait you told your mother you were pregnant through a text?”

Amber glares at Mika who cowers in fear, “What are my rules?”

“Speak when you tell me to.” Yasuda repeats and shuts up.

Amber turns back to Andrew who has another suggestion, “What about your brother, the other brother Aaron?”

Amber raises an eyebrow, “You did not just say that.”

Andrew sighs, “Look it’s been over three years I think you’ve punished him and your mother enough. The both of them are alive, working on their mental health and sober by our family standards we got the golden ticket.”

“I’m pretty sure you don’t get a famous chocolate factory here.” Lucas quips.

Andrew glares at him, “Speak when your spoken to applies to you as well Adams.” Lucas quiets causing Andrew to focus back on Amber who looks sad at their family situation, “Every family tree has a few nuts in them babe.”

“Some more than others.” Yasuda mutters.

“Do you want a slap to the face Yasuda?” Amber asks viciously causing Mika to swallow.

“I-I’m so sorry my mouth speaks before my brain and I have a dark sense of humor and-”

Amber ignores her and focuses on Andrew, “My brother is out of the question he made it so after our wedding and hasn’t apologized for it since. No, he lost the right to get to know his niece.” Amber inhales deeply with Andrew looking concerned, “You know what it’s fine we’re fine. Lucy has so many people who love her more than the people cut from her life she’ll be fine.”

Andrew knows her too well to fall for that, “You’re doing that thing where you try to convince yourself everything is fine when it isn’t.”

“I didn’t have doting grandparents or uncles growing up, it sucked but Lucy has us and so many other family members within walking distance. It will soften the blow once we tell her about our Clive Barker horror family tales. We’ll flip a coin on who gets to tell her, I gotta go to the pit. I’ll see you later.” Amber walks away from Andrew who looks at her worried while Adams pitches in.

“She really told her mom she was gonna be a grandma in a text?”

“That’s my wife your judging Adams so watch it.” Andrew turns to the interns, “Transport Dorian to a patient room and monitor his vitals and I cannot stress this enough. If one of you ignores your duties again, I will have Amber DeLuca unleash her pent-up rage against her family on you and I think you learned from her brief history recap how brutal we can be especially on lazy interns.” Yasuda and Adams look scared but nod understanding, “Good now go.” The interns leave DeLuca to go inside Dorian’s room while he exhales still worrying about Amber.

Later

Amber gowns up at the pit to prepare for the incoming double trauma in front of Kwan and Millin who start to annoy her as Millin chants.

“Chest tube, chest tube, chest tube, chest tube. I have one left on my procedure log.”

Amber starts to walk out with them and Kwan converses with Millin, “Ah me too. Want to bet who finishes first?”

“Loser buys drinks at Joe’s?”

“You’re on.”

“Game faces people.” Amber reminds them as she approaches Hunt and Link when the blaring ambulances stop at the bay.

“I got this one, Link you got the other.”

“Okay Millin you’re with us, Kwan go with Link.” Amber orders and they separate. Millin follows Amber and Hunt to the ambulance when the doors open revealing a woman on a gurney with a collar on.

“What do we got?”

“Gillian Mendelson, 46. Status post MVC.” The paramedic explains while Hunt does a neuro exam, “GCS 15. Brief LOC. Small head lac. Complaints of headache.”

Gillian is awake and speaks, “I’d think it’s a migraine if I wasn’t just in a car accident.”

“Okay let’s get you inside to check you out.”

Gillian speaks stopping them, “Wait! I-I want to make sure Cassandra’s okay.” They look to their left at the ambulance next to them and see a woman coming out on a gurney in far less severe shape than Gillian. Amber notices her serene expression and glassy eyes, “Cass you okay babe?”

Cassandra responds in a loose voice, “Remember when the kids were at soccer camp and we tried those gummies?”

Amber answers for her, “I think she’s okay.”

“We got to make sure you are too. Let’s go.” Both teams wheel their patients into the pit.

Meanwhile

Andrew opens the door allowing Yasuda and Adams to wheel in Dorian into his new room.

Yasuda tries to hype him up, “Smells of antiseptic, doesn’t have a view, but…”

“It’s not the ICU.” Adams finishes, “And-”

“Surprise” A man and woman jump out of the bathroom smiling and holding a GET WELL SOON, D sign. Andrew smiles at the perfect timing as he helped them plan a surprise jump out for Dorian who needs a little happy in his life. It works because he’s smiling for the first time in a while.

“No way. James? Fiona?”

Andrew explains, “They reached out and insisted on being here. I hope that’s okay.

“More than okay. We’re in the same engineering program. Well, we were.”

“Don’t worry. We brought all your work from last semester so you can catch up.”

“No, we didn’t, jerk.” Fiona lightly pushes him, “We did bring a bunch of cards from people back at school though. Everybody misses you, D.”

“Not entirely sure why.”

Dorian chuckles at James joke as DeLuca inserts his IV, “All right, let’s get you settled here and hopefully you won’t be here for long.” Dorian exhales in relief as DeLuca gets to work.

Later

After they found out that their patient Gillian is married to someone else and that Cassandra is her mistress Owen requested that she get a CT to rule out any neuro injuries. Amber found the situation both amusing and sad, amusing because she had to hide Cassandra’s bra when Aaron walked in and sad because Aaron seemed like a guy who didn’t deserve to be in a situation like this where his wife is sleeping with her friend behind his back. It makes her think about how her own messy family life which brings her back to issue of her nuts in the family tree and how her daughter will handle it.

“How long does this take?” Gillian asks while she is inside the MRI with Hunt and Amber observing from the monitor room.

“It should be quick.”

“Well, I was hoping it would be longer. If my head wasn’t pounding, I’d just as soon stay.”

Amber presses the intercom, “Just try to relax Gillian, imagine you’re lying on a beach getting a suntan. It doesn’t feel like it but that what imagination is for.”

“You want to know how I got in this mess, don’t you?” Gillian asks in shame with Hunt saying no and Amber overlapping with a kind of causing her to explain, “Aaron and I got married right after law school. We had our kids; we did our jobs. And then the kids were older, and work was-Well, I do tax law, and all of it just got so boring. Uninspiring.” Amelia walks in to check the brain scan, “But then I met Cass at the PTA, and she made life not boring. So here I am with a giant headache. Literally and figuratively.

“Complicated.” Amber snaps out of it and turns to Amelia.

“Do you see a subarachnoid hemorrhage or maybe an epidural hematoma?”

“No, her scan’s clear. Situation’s a mess. Well, good luck.”

Amber purses her lips and nods while Shepherd leaves. She presses the intercom so Gillian doesn’t hear her, “No offense to Gillian but I would take boring any day of the week including Sunday. Chaos can be exhilarating but then the high dies and you end up in pain and innocent people suffer the consequences of your mistakes.”

Hunt turns to Amber with a worried look and decides to pry, “Is everything okay with DeLuca?”

“No, we’re fine I’m talking about my family as in the ones who don’t live here.” Hunt still looks confused and Amber sighs at his expression, “I have to figure out how to explain to my precious and innocent child that her grandparents are either dead, manic or schizophrenic. It’s a can of works that’s gonna make her seriously question her sanity and her parents for thinking it was a good idea to mix our time bomb genes together. And my brother who I would go to for this picked this week to go to Nebraska for a peds surgery.”

“Your side has schizophrenia and DeLuca’s is bipolar, those are conditions that can be monitored and treated with the right therapy and medication. And if it makes you feel better medicine is advancing constantly and when she reaches that age the medications, she can take could be more effective with little side effects than it has today.” Amber nods feeling a tiny bit better, “And as for when you tell her you just have to take it one step at a time. If she’s anything like you apart from looks she’ll be fine. Kids are tough and they adjust well to bad situations better than adults. You of all people can understand that.”

Amber looks back at Gillian, “One thing is for sure Gillian’s head is not the only thing that’s gonna blow up.”

Meanwhile

Andrew and Carina walk down the hall to talk about Amber’s concerns as he is also starting to let it sink in. He hadn’t really considered it but now that Amber brought it up, he can see why she was worried. It’s hard to give your child the sex talk when they reach teen hood but how do you explain the whole messy family history that involves murder, death and insanity.

“I tried to tell her it wasn’t a big deal but the more I think about it I start to realize she’s right.” Carina sips her coffee paying attention, “I mean it was bad enough for us with just papa but for Lucy she has papa and so many other family tales that will make her use a nightlight for the rest of her life.”

“It’s not that bad it could be worse.”

Andrew scoffs in disbelief and counts with his fingers as he recaps to her, “Junkie grandpa who was murdered, manic grandpa who killed four patients, grandma who died of a stroke and a schizophrenic grandma who probably doesn’t know she exists. Can you think of a family that’s worse than that? Maybe the Stark’s from Game of Thrones or the Lannister’s definitely the Targaryen’s.”

Carina sighs, “I swear you and Maya are alike sometimes. She told me she was worried her genes were gonna ruin the baby because of how her father treated her. It’s the hormones but I know it’s from a deep-rooted fear that you have as well. We’re not our parents Andrea and neither are our precious babies.”

“Aren’t you worried at all about how Liam is gonna take it when you tell him about his cruel grandfathers and his homophobic uncle living on the streets?”

“Of course, I am but the good thing about growing up the way we did is that we know how to help our children process very shocking information. We just have to remind them of the people who love them and that despite how we were raised we are not gonna do to them what our parents did to us.” Andrew nods processing her advice, “Lucy is gonna be okay and so is Liam you just have to be prepared for when they have questions and answer them as honestly and as gently as we can.”

Andrew nods thankful for having a wise sister, “Thanks, I needed to hear that…You know Liam is lucky to have a mom like you, he’s gonna grow up great.” Carina looks away bashful, “I know this because he’s not the first kid you raised. That was me.”

Carina grins at Andrew gratefully who grins back, “Thank you I needed to hear that too.” Her phone beeps and her grin fall, “911 from Jo I have to go.” Carina runs away leaving Andrew in the dust.

Later

After ruling out neuro injuries in CT, Hunt and Amber moves Gillian back to the pit and gave her an ice pack for the headache. Aaron was waiting for her and is agitated but the news they give him.

“What do you mean her scan is clear?”

“Aaron.”

Aaron persists, “You’re clearly in pain.”

Amber explains, “Her scans showed no obvious hematomas or hemorrhages but we’re gonna find out what’s causing the headaches.”

“We’re gonna keep her in for observation. This could be a concussion. She did hit her head pretty hard.”

Aaron looks confused at Hunts diagnosis, “You did?”

“It’s how she got the cut.” Amber explains as Gillian looks flustered clearly afraid of being exposed.

“Why didn’t the airbag inflate?”

“Oh, uh, it did. I-I hit the door.” Gillian lies, “Can we not talk about this now?”

“But the cut’s on the right side of your head.” Amber presses her lips at Aaron getting closer to the harsh truth with Hunt stepping in.

“Listen, the good thing is-”

Aaron interrupts and keeps pestering Gillian, “If you were driving, the door would be-”

Gillian groans, “Oh, my head is really pounding.”

Amber clears her throat, “Just keep the icepack on the head Gillian, Mr. Mendelson why don’t you take a walk while your wife recuperates, I think that would be-”

Aaron ignores her, “She hit you so hard that it flipped you in your seat? That woman should definitely not be driving our kids around. She’s irresponsible and-”

“WE’RE HAVING AN AFFAIR!” Gillian yells out so loud the whole pit hears her.

“And there’s the blow up.” Amber whispers to Hunt both of them feeling awkward as Gillian spills the dirty beans.

“What’d you say?” Aaron asks in shock.

“An affair! You know, sex? The thing you and I never have anymore. That’s what Cass and I were doing in the back seat, like we’ve been doing for two years. Two years! Any more questions?” Aaron looks at his wife hurt but doesn’t speak instead he leaves in pain with Hunt and Amber as a front row audience to the farce, “I felt a lot better yelling at him.”

Amber nods, “Well, sometimes getting it all out can be a huge relief to the psyche.”

“No, no, I-I feel awful now, but when I’m yelling…MY HEAD DOESN’T HURT!” Amber jumps in shock at the sudden outburst and looks at Hunt who is also confused by this new development.

Later

Amber walks into the lobby rubbing her ear with her finger after getting Gillian back into CT. Her patient was screaming the whole time because it made her head feel better. They were able to diagnose her and sent her to an O.R. before she damaged all of their ear canals. Amber spots Andrew charting by the station in his navy scrubs and navy-blue scrub cap with a constellation pattern on it.

Amber stands next to him leaning against the station on her elbows, “Hey.”

Andrew smiles at her, “Hey I heard about your patient who screamed in your face.”

Amber chuckles, “She didn’t scream at me she screamed so she could relieve her cranial pressure. We sent her up to neuro, it should be a simple procedure. I just hope she doesn’t scream while Shepherd is in her brain.”

“It would be an interesting sight.” Amber smiles at that when they hear a familiar voice yelling at someone behind them.

“Because he was shot!” Amber and Andrew quickly turn around to find Lucas Adams yelling at Dorian’s friends in the middle of the waiting room, “Three bullets went into his body. He’s been hanging on by a thread for weeks.”

Andrew looks on in shock and anger, “Damn it come on.” Amber and Andrew move towards Adams who keeps admonishing Fiona and James who look at him in hurt shock.

“And he’s already feeling disconnected enough not knowing how long he’ll be here. He doesn’t need to listen to stories about people he doesn’t know or graduations he won’t attend. He just needs to know that you’re actually here for him.”

Andrew reaches Adams and sternly orders him, “Adams take a walk right now.”

He ignores him and keeps going, “Maybe it’s for the better that you weren’t here. You obviously have no idea what he’s been through.”

Andrew grabs Adams elbow forcing him to face him as he glares at him in anger and disappointment, “Go find a dark corner somewhere while I clean up your mess again. Now.” Adams stands there with a pissed off look forcing DeLuca to yell, “Now!” Adams leaves in a huff. Amber follows him to get answers while her husband apologizes to the victims of Adams tirade.

She catches up to him in the towel room, “What the hell was that?! Are you out of your damn mind?!”

Adams quickly turns to face her, “Dorian’s been here for 51 days, and they waited till now to visit him?”

“He didn’t want them here!” Amber explains, “Post op day 15 his phone was blowing up with texts from them asking him where he was. He told me to text back that he was okay they didn’t even know about what happened until two weeks ago. But even if that wasn’t the case that doesn’t warrant you to verbally assault his friends, do you really think that’s how a doctor is supposed to talk to his patients loved ones?! You have disappointed me in a new way that I didn’t think even you were capable of.”

“And what are you gonna do huh? Cut me off like you cut your own mom and brother out of your life?”

“Adams watch it!” Amber registers Andrew behind her speaking in a protective tone.

“Can anybody live up to your standards?” Adams asks her in anger, “Are you really such a perfectionist that you toss your own blood in the garbage for what is no doubt a little mistake that you can’t overlook. You didn’t even tell them about your daughter you just assumed they would be fine with you deserting them.”

Andrew opens his mouth to speak but Amber beats him to it as she glares up at Adams in rage, “You have no right to think you know anything about me or my family! You don’t relive the memory of your mother chasing you around the house with a knife and watching your brothers hold her down and force her to swallow pills so she wouldn’t kill me. Or how after you married the love of your life you called your brother who told you that you were making the biggest mistake of your life and that you were gonna end up alone and beaten just like your mother. If you had even one moment in your life that amounts to that pain and excuses your outbursts, please tell me!” Adams looks at her blankly confirming her answer, “I thought so. Now if I hear you yelling at a patient or family member like that or hear this childish tantrum at another superior surgeon, I will personally see to it that you are suspended without pay!” Adams looks down on the floor, “Get out of my sight.” Lucas walks away still furious at both his bosses and Dorian’s friends. Amber pinches the bridge of her nose and turns to Andrew with a frustrated look, “I swear I am close to killing that kid if he keeps pissing me off.”

“We both know he’s gonna keep pissing you off.” Andrew steps closer to Amber and grips her shoulder to bring her back down to earth, “He’s an idiot and you shouldn’t take what he said to heart. You didn’t abandon your mom and brother you just have a relationship that works better long distance.”

Amber sniffles, “He…He raised me and he loved me, he is the reason I was standing when Alex left. God he was my cheerleader when I was a cynical, snarky as hell goth teenager, and let me tell you I was a walking nightmare.” Andrew smirks at that as Amber continues, “I would always tell him that he wasn’t like our mother after he was diagnosed. Whenever he would get depressed, I just reminded him that no matter what he was the same fun, kind, pain in the ass big brother I grew up with.” Amber’s eyes turn watery with Andrew looking down at her in pity, “But when I told him I was getting married to you he…he said I was repeating what our mother did. He said I was gonna end up like our mother, married to an abusive asshole who left me to raise the kids on my own.”

Andrew inhales at the memory of comforting Amber after her last call to Aaron that led her to cry on his shoulder as he rocked her in his lap. Amber chuckles lightly wiping a tear away, “I guess I have myself to blame for that. He, Alex and Jackson were the ones I turned to when things were bad between us. Hearing your sister crying about how everyone she loves goes crazy and attacks her makes you hate the person responsible for the rest of your life.”

“Hey, come on don’t do that.” Andrew tips her chin up with his finger so he can look into his eyes. He looks into her tear stained eyes and says earnestly, “Don’t blame yourself for turning to the people you love when you were at your lowest. A low that I put you at by the way. If you want to blame someone for your brother’s bad choice of words then blame me. Blame me for hurting you and making your brothers hate me so much they couldn’t tell they hurt you too.”

“You didn’t choose the mania.” Amber reminds him.

“No but I did choose to ignore your concerns and lashed out when you tried to help me. Maybe Aaron could have expressed his worries differently but he did what he did because he loves you and wants to protect you. I know that because it’s how I feel about my sister. You don’t have to forget what he said, you just have to find a way to move past this with him. I said a lot worse than him and we moved past it and we’re better than ever. If we can do that after the hell, we’ve endured then you and your brother can do the same.”

Amber looks at Andrew in awe as she cradles his stubbly cheek, “How did I get so lucky?”

“I ask myself the same thing every time I look at you.” Andrew grins and kisses Amber before pulling her in for a hug that she takes in feeling comfort in his warmth and kindness.

Later

After prepping her for surgery Amber assists Amelia in Gillian’s brain surgery to fix her Arnold-Chiari malformation. During the entire time Gillian was yelling because it was the only thing that could relieve her headache to Amber’s ire as her ears are still stinging from the close proximity. Amber is in the O.R. retracting as Amelia does the craniotomy.

Amber exhales in relief, “I swear I was close to doing the craniotomy myself in pre op just to get her to shut up.”

Amelia chuckles, “Like you’ve never yelled at anyone in this hospital until their ears bleed. Maybe you can consider this karma.”

“I only yell when someone deserves it. Like you nephew this afternoon.” Amelia looks up taken back and Amber explains, “He yelled at Dorian’s friends in the middle of the lobby and told them they were making things worse. I didn’t make that big of a scene when I was an intern and believe me I’ve had visitors in the waiting area that were actually making things hard for the patient.”

“Intern year is hard.” Amelia reminds Amber as she pulls a piece of the skull back, “And his friends are ignoring him and treating him like the plague so there’s that.”

“It doesn’t mean he has to take it out on James and Fiona or me for that matter and I am his chief resident. Maybe you can remind him that tonight with a smack to the head.”

“What did he say to you to warrant a smack?”

Amber keeps retracting with a frown, “He said I was a control freak who abandons her family the first mistake they make. Jackass. I mean look I know I can be a hardass on them but that’s only because it’s the only thing that can get through their thick skulls and actually be doctors. I’m just waiting for Adams to do that but no he makes it his mission to piss me off and integrate himself in my private family matter.”

“You mean about you not telling your mother your pregnant?” Amber looks up surprised that Amelia knows, “Word travels around fast and Adams is just angry right now and when me and his uncle got angry, we just pushed people away when really we wanted them to be there for us in our time of need.”

“And I thought me and Alex sucked in communication.” Amelia chuckles, “But he doesn’t have the right to think he knows why I haven’t actually told my mom the news. He didn’t live my life so he shouldn’t so quick to judge or take out his issues on me.”

Amelia nods, “Your absolutely right I will talk to him…so how come you haven’t told your mom about Lucy?” Amber raises an eyebrow at her, “I mean don’t get me wrong I have my own issues with my mother to the point where I didn’t tell her I had a brain tumor but that was because she missed my wedding. I guess you got a reason for not telling your mom she’s about to be a grandma.”

Amber chuckles bitterly, “How much time have you got?”

Amelia looks down at the exposed brain, “Well we’re waiting for the cranial pressure to swell down so I got time.”

Amber sighs before starting, “She was never really good with major events or minor ones for that matter. She couldn’t handle bad news at all, she would make it about herself and skip her meds. On the good days she would be in bed staring at nothing and the bad days she would be a human wrecking ball just destroying everything in her wake. My brothers basically had to raise me and hid me from her as best as they could. I know they did their best but she was beautiful so she didn’t have trouble finding a man. It was easy for her but horrible for her kids, especially her 8-year-old daughter. I would wake up and there would be some asshole of the month in the kitchen and my mom passed out in bed.” Amelia looks at Amber in pity, “I even had a routine where I would sneak out through my bedroom window and run away on my brothers 10 speed bike.”

Amelia frowns behind her mask, “Aww Amber that sounds awful.”

“Yeah, it was. Now you can see why I am reluctant to invite her into my daughter’s life. She’s just gonna make it about herself like she always does.”

“She might surprise you, mine did when I told her and my son gets a grandma about 5 times a year.”

Amber snorts, “She failed miserably as a mother I don’t think she’s gonna do well as a grandma.”

“Okay are there any moments of your childhood that weren’t straight from a horror story? Was your mom always so awful?”

Amber sighs, “…No she had one good year when I was a kid. She was a librarian so in that year we would hang out and play hide and seek in the stacks and she would let me read on top of her desk. It was the only year I felt like I had a mom and not a mental patient.”

“So, focus on that. Your mom is doing better now and she’s the person she was that year. She might have given you some pretty bad memories but she gave you some good ones too. Maybe this time she can give your kid more good than bad and thrive in grandmotherhood. Show your kid that even a messed up family like hers has love and joy.”

Amber looks at Amelia is thought before getting back to the surgery.

That Night

Amber sits on the king-sized bed with Lucy in her lap wearing black silk pajamas and Lucy in a pink onesie. On the bed beside them is an old converse shoe box with photos and other items inside it instead of her black converse that she wore out years ago. She decided to stroll down memory lane with Lucy so she can show her that even in a dark family like hers there’s still happy photo worthy moments in documentation.

“What do we have in here? What can mommy show you?” Amber gasps as she pulls out a photo of her at 15 wearing a Sandy Dee Summer’s Night costume for her high school production of Grease, “Wow look at this Lucy this is your mommy back when she was in theater.” Amber sings the famous song, “Summer loving happened so fast. I met a girl crazy for me.” Amber giggles at the memory, “Let’s hope you get my vocals instead of your dad’s.”

“Hey, come on I’m not John Travolta but I can rock the leather jacket and gelled back hair.” Amber sees Andrew outside the door grinning at them in his black tank top and gray pajama bottoms before hopping in and sitting beside his family. He digs into the shoebox, “Let’s see what else we can make fun of your mommy for.”

“Oh, don’t be so sure buddy because I got some pretty embarrassing pictures of you courtesy of Zia Carina.” Amber pulls out a photo of a young Andrew smiling and covered in marinara sauce causing them to laugh, “She told me how you spilled two jars of tomato sauce on yourself when you tried to reach a high shelf.”

“Yeah, your daddy was a little clumsy as a kid Lucy.” He looks at his daughter in Amber’s lap who holds a photo looking at it inquisitively, “Hopefully you don’t get that from me.”

“Oh, look at this.” Amber shows Lucy a photo of Aaron in his high school baseball uniform, “You know your uncle was so bad at baseball that he asked me to let him play in the sandlot with me and the other neighborhood boys. I tried telling him no because I knew he would embarrass me but he was persistent. He said he wanted to beat the rival baseball team but really, he just wanted to impress the girls in his class. Worked his way up to MVP though.” Lucy reaches out and touches the photo of her uncle Aaron, “That’s your uncle Aaron in a nutshell, loved to prove me wrong.”

Andrew smiles at her and pulls out a small and worn-out Matilda book from the box, “Your mom was a massive bookworm when she was little like you. She used to hang out at the library with your grandma and just scour the shelves for the next read.”

Amber grins and holds the book, “Yeah, your grandma Helen used to read me this during bedtime when I was little. She always liked to read me books about smart girls because that’s how girls are supposed to be written.” Lucy babbles and Amber pulls out a photo of herself at 8 years old in a hospital bed with white gauze wrapped around her head. Despite this she is smiling wide in the picture with Alex next to her grinning his cool guy grin, “That’s when mommy had a crush on Ryan Sheckler and thought she could do an ollie on her board just like him. But a visit to the ER and 12 stitches on the cranium proved me wrong. Don’t let the ‘I’m cool’ grin fool you; your uncle Alex was a mess before we took this photo. He badgered the doctors and the nurses and told them to run tests for any neuro injuries.” Amber grins at that memory, “He acts tough but he’s as soft as a marshmallow once you get past the crusty shell. You’ll see that just like I did.” Amber kisses Lucy’s head while Andrew grins at the sight holding Lucy’s tiny hand that is holding a photo. Amber digs into her box, “I don’t think we have a picture of your grandma in here…how about we call her and ask her for one?” Amber looks at Andrew who is taken back by this turn but stays supportive.

“Are you sure you want to call her?”

Amber inhales and looks at Lucy who holds a tiny mushroom plush, “Yeah why not. Let’s call her.” Amber pulls her phone out while Andrew moves Lucy from her lap to his as he watches Amber dialing the number and holding the phone to her ear, “It’s ringing…hey mom it’s me.” Andrew stays quiet as he observes hoping it goes well, “Yeah it has been a long time. I don’t know if you got my last text…” Amber chuckle sheepishly and scratches her head, “No I didn’t think you did, you rely on your home phone more than cell.” Andrew purses his lips at his theory being proven right while Amber talks to her mom on the phone, “Well listen that text was to tell you that me and Andrew were pregnant…no I’m not pregnant now I was about a year ago and seven months ago we had a baby. A little girl…I can imagine it’s shocking hearing about this just now sorry��her name is Lucia, we named her after Andrew’s mom.” Andrew grins at that kissing the top of Lucy’s head, “We’re calling her Lucy…Do you want to talk to your granddaughter? I can put her on for you if you want…okay.”

Andrew looks down at Lucy who looks at Amber blankly, “Do you want to talk to grandma?”

Amber moves the phone next to Lucy’s ear and smiles at her, “Say hi to grandma bambina.” Lucy babbles over the phone Amber is holding and her parents look at each other with grins on their faces over Lucy finally meeting her grandma.

[burnwater13]

Concept art by Christian Alzmann, of Kuiil holding Grogu while riding a blurgg with ex-Imp Stormtroopers chasing them on speeder bikes. Setting is Nevarro. Image from The Mandalorian, Season 1, Episode 7, The Reckoning. Calendar by DataWorks.

The following story, I have Spoken, was originally published on October 20, 2023.

Grogu wasn’t sure that his dad would agree to his plan. He hoped that the Mandalorian would, but Din Djarin was a tricky character and he might say no. Grogu really didn’t want that. He needed to get the Mandalorian into the right frame of mind. He would have to wage a subtle campaign that would allow the bounty hunter to only say yes. Grogu knew it was a tall order, but he was a Jedi and there was only ‘do or do not’. He was definitely embracing ‘do’. 

He formulated his plan and he began to implement almost immediately. First things first he was going to gently remind the Mandalorian of the things they did when they first met. Then he was going to expand on how the people they met along the way had helped them both learn more about each other and then finally he would focus on the subject of the request and make sure that Din Djarin felt as sentimental and vulnerable as possible. Then he would pounce and ask his question.

That morning Grogu pulled out all of his drawings and began to put them in chronological order. He left a few out on purpose and hid them at the bottom of the drawer he used for ‘work in process’. Once he had them in a deliberate order he went over to the spot where his dad was reading through a technical briefing on the potential pitfalls of further enhancement of the N-1’s engine sub-structure. Grogu had to work hard to stay awake because the boredom that crashed over him just asking his dad what he was doing was just that powerful. 

“What’s up buddy? Not interested in ship upgrades?” Din asked, not expecting what was next.

Grogu thrust the pile of drawings at him and indicated that he wanted Din’s help in going through them. His dad had accepted the request immediately, which proved to Grogu that even the Mandalorian was finding that technical briefing document boring. Grogu giggled quietly at that. 

“Ah, your drawings. Let’s see.” The Mandalorian began to flip through them and, as Grogu expected, began to rearrange them when he found ones that were out of chronological order. Grogu knew that salting the trap that way was a good idea. It forced his dad to be more engaged in remembering what had happened and that was crucial to the overall success of Grogu’s mission. 

“Buddy, what happened to those those drawings you did of Kuiil? I’m sure you did a few of him and the blurggs.” Din asked as he went through the pile a second time. 

Grogu coo’d and chirped, looking very sorrowful.

“You didn’t think they were good enough? I don’t know pal, I think they were pretty good. Do you still have them?”

Grogu nodded and hopped down from the table and trotted over to his WIP drawer and pulled those drawings out. He brought them over to the table and hopped back up and handed them to his dad. 

Din looked at each one, put it in chrono order, but not into the bigger pile, and studied them carefully. 

“Didn’t you do one when we were negotiating with the Jawas? Or the time he fixed IG-11 and Cara Dune was with us? After all you included the one when I fell off the blurgg.”

Grogu pretended to sigh and said he just didn’t think his drawing skills were up to replicating those scenes well enough. Since Din was so busy with other things, he didn’t like to ask for his help, although he really needed it.

He waited quietly to see if his dad would take the bait. This was a very tricky moment. Sometimes the Mandalorian realized that Grogu was up to something when he was being quiet and serious on a beautiful day when he could have been outside chasing frogs. Fortunately, the day was kind of dreary and overcast and that’s why they were both in the cabin doing quiet work to begin with. 

“I have some time before I make us lunch. I can try to help. Which scene do you want to do?” Din Djarin asked thoughtfully.

Grogu sighed a little and said that any scene that Din remembered that Grogu didn’t would be fine. This was a risky gambit. Of course Grogu couldn’t have drawn a picture of Kuiil from a time he hadn’t seen or met the Ugnaught but he thought that if he could get his dad to remember something special about Kuiil that he uniquely knew about, his plan would be more likely to succeed. 

“Okay, pal. After you helped me with mudhorn you ended up sleeping for a while. Kuiil helped me get you back to the ship and we said out first goodbyes. How about I draw that for you and you can color it in?”

 The Mandalorian wasn’t sad, but he wasn’t really happy either. Perfect. Grogu nodded his head and then made sure that his dad had the time and tools to draw the scene he’d described. It took a little while, but this is where all that training as a bounty hunter’s apprentice was coming into play. Grogu needed his dad to be really emotionally engaged in the project. 

That first drawing was almost magical. The darkness, the light, the image of Kuiil sitting on the blurrg. Grogu could almost hear him saying ‘I have spoken!’. He coo’d a soft thank you to his dad and made sure that he sniffed just a little bit. 

Din looked over at him and groaned. 

“Grogu, are you crying? I know. I miss Kuiil too. He was a good friend and we didn’t get to spend enough time with him.”

Grogu nodded and looked sad and tried not to blow the moment. He needed to be patient and wait for the just the right moment to spring the question on his dad. He carefully reached for the drawing so he could study it and consider what he should do.

“Hey, buddy. Would you like to go to the Clan Mudhorn festival dressed as Kuiil? I could even make you a small blurgg to ride?” 

Dank Farrik! Din Djarin must be able to use the Force! 

He figured out exactly what Grogu wanted without Grogu even having to ask his question! You couldn’t do that without having some ability to use the Force. Wow!

Of course he told his dad yes! Then he wrote a note in his diary to make sure that he kept an eye on his dad for other examples of him using the Force. He didn’t want to forget about that with all the excitement of making the Kuiil costume, because that was going to be great. He has spoken!

[leseigneurdufeu]

OK so.

Abed had a breakdown in which he saw everything in claymation. Went catatonic at this occasion. He is apparently capable of making other people experience hallucinations (Annie in the dreamatorium, and let's not forget Jeff imagined the dark counterparts exactly like Abed did). He created a mafia family just to get more chicken (and because it was cool). Only one not affected by the craziness beam of the glee club teacher or the dean in Documentary: Redux, and is capable of sitting 26h without reacting and make other people have breakdowns just watching/listening to him (Britta, Duncan, that one teacher studying who's the boss, Duncan again...), unwillingly manipulated Jeff into revealing his biggest insecurities...

and he is the SANEST person in the group. Though no. He's the one with the least homicidal tendencies, not necessarily the sanest.

and you know what? it checks out!

Jeff is a sociopath who was ready to falsely accuse a man of human trafficking (20-to-life sentence) just so he would stop crashing on his couch, (kinda) manipulated Chang into thinking he could stay in his baby's life after the birth if he stopped crashing on his couch, assaulted other members of the group (Pierce at the hospital, the Dean at the karaoke bar, among other occasions, I'm sure I'm forgetting a few), attacked them with a fire axe yelling that the table was magic, admitted to "shielding rich people from justice" when he was a lawyer, thinks he's God, committed crimes outlawed by the Geneva convention while in a hallucination.

Britta threw a corpse through a window on accident, threw a brick on purpose through an office window, does drugs, is almost exclusively attracted to weird guys (an antique smuggler, a junkie who defenestrated himself, Vaughn, Blade, the pizza guy, Lukas...), came up with plans ranging from "weaponize a friend's absence of social filter to harass a bunch of girls" to "pimp another friend to a woman in order to ruin her son's life". She goes hysterical during the Lava episode. She arguably sleeps with Jeff so she could beat him at paintball. She tries to gaslight a friend into thinking he didn't walk in on Jeff and her. She forced everyone to tell horror stories to know which one of them was a psychopath and only realized she might be the one when they told her she had turned in her test too.

Troy is usually a sweet guy but he did a few things that could qualify as harassment (naming the monkey Annie's Boobs, or creating that twitter account to make fun of Pierce, for example) and also he challenged a guy to a death match! (but he did spare the guy's life).

Pierce invited all the group on two separate occasions just so he could mess with them (the hospital, and the halloween). He dressed as Patrick Bateman without even meaning to for a business meeting. He set up a friend to "die" (well, be shot at paintball) out of jealousy. He broke his word multiple times ("lemme bounce or i tell everyone about the trampoline" - bounces and tells everyone anyway). SUED a friend. The eulogy he gave at his dad's funeral ended by "but you're dead, and i'm alive, which means i win. suck it!". Assaulted who he thought was his father (but was a colonel sanders atari cartouche on a screen).

Shirley was onboard with getting Chang incarcerated for life (before he became even crazier, that was the time he was trying to be useful and nice). She assaulted multiple people. She has a past as a bully. She took her issues with Andre on Slater's car. She recognized she used guilt as a manipulation tactic, also used a few other tactics on some of her friends. Still, she's trying to be better.

Annie was completely down with faking her own murder to multiple people, and with torturing people mentally (Duncan experiment). She did other stuff but I'm pretty sure that's good enough for this list.

Chang is Chang, Pelton is a stalker and a blackmailer.

Abed is actually the less physically violent of the group.

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 1

Episode 20: Dream Busters

~The Man Cave~

Schwoz and (y/n) were dashing around the Man Cave, trying to set up several machines at once. Ray had called them five minutes ago, alerting them that Henry was 'out of action', whatever that meant, and he was bringing him back to the headquarters as soon as possible. The worry in his voice made the two assistants rush to get everything ready as deep down, they could tell how concerned Ray was. He was protective of his vulnerable sidekick; they all were, and they'd be damned if they let him down in his hour of need.

Charlotte came crashing down in the elevator, (y/n) having called her fifteen minutes earlier. It wasn't the girl's day to work, but once the superhero duo came back, Captain Man would need all the help he could get to save Henry. (y/n) was tweaking the machine that would be used for Henry, as the dark-haired girl stumbled into the main room.

"Hey, Schwoz, (y/n), look! I made onion dip!" Charlotte smiled at them, excited to share her delicious creation. However, the situation was dire and the two engineers didn't have time to sit and dip.

"Not now Charlotte, sweetheart." (y/n) smiled at her as kindly as she could, but the stress was evident on her face. Ray hadn't given them many details, but there were enough to make her feel nauseous with fear. 

"There's no time for onion dip," Schwoz told the girl, helping the young woman adjust the chair in the middle of the room.

"Why not?" Charlotte asked, sensing that something was wrong.

"Something bad has happened." (y/n) told her, her hands feeling clammy and shakey. 'Damn my stupid nerves.' She thought, knowing that to do her job properly, she needed to remain calm.

"Aw, did Gooch fall in the toilet again?" The dark-haired girl sighed, not fully comprehending the gravity of what was going on.

"No, Gooch did not fall in the toilet again," Schwoz said in an annoyed tone. As if they'd be running around in a frenzy if Gooch was in the toilet again.

"Then what is--" Charlotte was interrupted as both tubes came down with a pale-faced Ray in the right one.

"Hey! Do you like onion dip?" The girl asked him in a friendly tone, but the superhero was too concerned with his sidekick to care.

"Wait a minute!" He stopped her question, watching as a sleeping Henry came down in the other tube. (y/n) felt her stomach drop at the sight of him in the deep sleep. Seeing it with her own eyes made everything feel real. Schwoz used his remote to raise the tube propping the boy up and Ray caught him in his arms. 

"Oh my god, how is he?" (y/n) said, taking a few steps forward to meet her best friend in the middle as he brought the kid to the chair.

"He's sound asleep!" Ray reported, his voice laced with concern.

"Oh no! Bring him! We have to hook him up to the thingy!" Schwoz lifted the headpiece on the machine and gestured for the larger man to put Henry down. Charlotte looked on in confused horror, not knowing what was wrong with her friend.

"What's wrong with Henry?" She asked as (y/n) and Schwoz strapped the boy to the chair and hooked him up to the device.

"We were trying to capture Dr Minyak," Ray said, biting his fingernails through his gloves when (y/n) brought up Henry's vital signs on the scanner.

"Dr Minyak broke out of prison?" Charlotte said in a shocked voice. She hadn't heard about the insane criminal being loose again.

"Yeah, two weeks ago." The older woman mentioned. She knew the status of pretty much every major criminal in and around Swellview since she had a lot of time on her hands and an obligation to be well-informed for Ray.

"And just as we were about to grab him, he blasted Henry with a dream beam." The man recounted what had happened only an hour prior. 

"A dream beam? What is--" Charlotte was perplexed with everything happening at that moment and Ray's interruptions weren't helping.

"There's no time for you to finish that question!" He snapped at her, making (y/n) frown as she looked at the screen.

"Raymond! Keep calm!" She told him sternly. Just because there was an emergency didn't mean he had to be rude.

"Sorry." He mumbled, trying to get his stress under control. 

"Schwoz, can you show us Henry's brain activity?" The woman asked the genius as Ray ran around the chair so he could see the screen.

"Yeah, hang on, I've got to change the input," Schwoz said and he started to flick through all the setups on the monitor.

"HDMI one, no, HDMI two, no." He looked through them at a painfully slow pace, which irritated the other adults.

"Oh my god," Ray muttered under his breath, as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder, comforting both of them.

"For the love of God, please hurry up!" (y/n) hissed, enjoying the warmth that his touch brought.

"Oh, there. That's Henry's brain." The little man finally found the right screen on HDMI three and they all looked at the information that was listed. 

"Okay, I will give anyone two dollars to tell me what's going on." Charlotte held up the bills, shaking them in front of the adults' faces so she could be clued in on Henry's situation.

"Henry got blasted with a dream beam, which put him into a deep sleep, like, really deep." (y/n) explained as simply as she could, knowing that she couldn't explain the science even if she tried. The girl nodded in understanding, so the older woman took the two dollars out of her hand, thinking that it was two more dollars in her pocket.

"Well, then let's wake him up," Charlotte said, but Ray shook his head.

"It's almost impossible to wake someone who's been dream beamed." He said, walking back over to Henry's side.

"Why?" Charlotte asked in concern.

"Show her, guys." He said as he raised the headpiece from the boy's face. (y/n) took out a pair of cymbals from a cabinet and started crashing them together next to Henry's ears. Not even a blink. Sighing, she put them down and let Schwoz take over.

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" The little man's slapped Henry across the face harshly several times, but the boy didn't even twitch. 

"Okay, okay, he needs his face!" (y/n) grabbed his hands and pushed them away from the boy. They turned to Charlotte who looked like she now understood how serious everything was.

"You see?" Schwoz shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh my god..." The teen stated, not believing that Henry hadn't woken up after having his face beat about.

"And as long as he's in this type of deep sleep...he'll have dreams," Ray said mysteriously, putting the scanner back down.

"Dreams?" They didn't sound too bad to Charlotte. Everyone dreams, so how bad can it be?

"Disturbing dreams." (y/n) clarified.

"Crazy dreams!" Schwoz growled into Charlotte's ear, making the girl jump.

"Oh, man." The teen looked at Henry with worry as the kid began to writhe in discomfort. 

"He must be having one right now." (y/n) said, seeing a change in his brain activity.

"I wonder what he's dreaming about." Charlotte wondered, wishing she could see inside Henry's mind.

"Watch the screen and you will see," Schwoz told her, making the girl gaze on the monitor with wonder. Henry's brain waves started going haywire as his dream commenced.

~

Henry strolled up to his locker in Swellview High School. So far, so normal. However, everything soon became weird as Jasper came running through the corridors, screaming for his friend. The blond boy turned away from his locker, intent on greeting Jasper, but to his bewilderment, the teen came trotting up to him in a snow-white wedding dress, complete with a veil and heels. 

The boy was panting and sweating, but he started to tell Henry about how he was late for his wedding and that he needed him to drive him to church. Henry questioned why he was dressed as a bride, but Jasper didn't answer him, he just peered over his shoulder in horror. When Henry asked what was wrong, the curly-haired boy just pointed and screamed at a dancing green woman behind him. As Henry looked at the dancer in confusion, Jasper grasped his bicep and pleaded with him to not let the girl stop his wedding. 

With his best friend running away, Kid Danger was left with the green woman, but then, Miss Shapen walked up to him. He tried to ask her about the green dancer, but she just scolded him for being in trouble over her cat not using the bathroom. Henry asked why that was his fault, but Miss Shapen was just spouting gobbledygook about George Clooney. Things got even weirder when his teacher's eyes were replaced with lips, which started to talk over one another. Miss Shapen and her lip-eyes began to laugh together, seriously freaking Henry out when they started singing too. 

~

"Look! His brain waves are going insane!" (y/n) pointed to the spiking levels on the monitor, grabbing everyone's attention.

"He must be having an insane dream," Ray said as Henry started convulsing again.

"Man...I sure picked the wrong day to make onion dip." Charlotte commented, making the adults look at her with irritated and baffled expressions.

"We don't have time for the dips!" Schwoz scolded her, causing the girl to raise her hands in surrender.

"Okay, let's not argue. Henry needs us, so Ray, go get changed, Schwoz, help me get Henry back into his normal clothes and Charlotte, get some chips for that dip." (y/n) instructed them, taking control of the situation. Shit needed to get done and she was going to be the one to facilitate it.

"Yes, ma'am!" They all saluted her jokingly and parted ways to get started on the tasks she gave them. Ray smiled to himself at how she asserted herself, loving how her confidence came out when needed.

~10 minutes later~

"All right, Henry's back into his normal clothes, what do we do now?" Ray asked her, as he finished wrapping some bandages around the kid's feet, as per (y/n)'s directions. She needed the piping to be secured around his feet so her plan could be carried out safely.

"We're gonna try something drastic." She said enigmatic tone.

"Oooh, what?" Charlotte asked her, seeing how she was letting her logic and intelligence guide her.

"Waking Henry up by giving him a massive dose of extreme coffee." She told her, turning around to see if Barista Schwoz was nearly ready with the super-caffeinated drink. 

"But I thought extreme coffee was illegal in America." The dark-haired teen gasped, not believing that they were going to use it on Henry.

"It is," Schwoz said. Drastic situations called for drastic measures.

"And for good reason. It has over 300 hundred times the caffeine of normal coffee." Ray stated, his focus on Charlotte giving (y/n) a second to glance at him and appreciate how well his shirt fit him. Like always, his biceps strained against the material, making them look huge.

"Okay. We're ready to pump the extreme coffee into Henry." Schwoz announced, snapping her attention away from Ray's muscly arms.

"Do it." The large man said, praying that it would wake Henry up.

"Are you sure about this?" Charlotte looked at (y/n), who was biting her thumb from her nerves.

"This is the safest option." She muttered, taking a few steps back so she could be at Ray's side. He slipped his hand into hers and their fingers intertwined into a tight hold.

"Let's hope this works," Ray said, crossing his fingers on his free hand.

"Yeah." Schwoz pressed the go button on the coffee machine and the deathly black liquid ran from the bottle, through the tubes and into Henry's body via his feet. 

"Hey, why are we injecting the coffee into his feet?" Charlotte asked, thinking that it was a weird place to use.

"Because the fastest way to get the coffee in is through intro-feetus injection," Ray replied, confusing both the girl and his best friend. That information was definitely wrong.

"Where do you learn this stuff?" The teen questioned him, seriously wondering what books and web pages he was reading.

"He doesn't, he just repeats what Schwoz and I say. Badly." (y/n) teased, squeezing Ray's hand as she smirked at him. He chuckled and let go of her hand in favour of wrapping an arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him.

"So, what is the real reason?" Charlotte asked, not letting how cute they looked affect her facial expressions.

"We can't use intravenous injection in his arm because the coffee would be absorbed too fast and it could give him a heart attack. Therefore, we're sending it in through his feet so the absorption is slower." (y/n) smiled at Charlotte who nodded in understanding at her simple, yet smart explanation. 

"Clever girl," Ray mumbled, pressing a fleeting kiss to the top of her head. (y/n) thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't the one hooked up to the machinery since she was sure her heart rate would be off the scale. She avoided eye contact with Charlotte as she knew the teenager would be staring at her with teasing eyes.

Henry began to shake more violently as the extreme coffee began to take effect. His friends looked at him as he moaned and groaned.

"Is Henry waking up?" Ray asked Schwoz, who checked the scanner's results.

"I don't think so." He sighed dejectedly. Ray put his hands on his head in frustration and (y/n) squished her face to his pec. They had been counting on this to work, so to hear the bad news was like a kick to the face.

"But the coffee does seem to be affecting Henry's dream." Schwoz saw the numbers on his screen shoot up and the boy shook like a leaf.

~

Henry was back in Swellview High, sprinting at full speed around the corridors (probably influenced by the massive inrush of caffeine). Oliver Pook was sat in the middle of the hallway in a shallow paddling pool, blowing bubbles as a yellow duck bobbed up and down in the pool. The green dancing girl from before was twirling and shaking her hips as a hyper Henry ran around Oliver's pool, laughing along with the boy. He danced with the woman before taking a leap across the pool and knocking a trash can over. His blood felt like it was on fire, making him do around fifty starjumps before running off again.

~

Having run out of ideas to try, the four friends awake in the Man Cave had sat down on the couch to think and eat Charlotte's dip. Taking a chip each, they scooped up the homemade condiment and tasted its sweet and tangy richness.

"I feel so bad for Henry," Schwoz told them in a sad voice, making them all look at the snoozing boy. 

"Yeah." Ray sighed, feeling guilty that he let his sidekick get hurt. Charlotte stood up and took a dipped chip over to her friend, hoping he might wake up to eat it. The adults looked at her dolefully, seeing how she was hurting like the rest of them. (y/n) hugged herself to Ray's body, seeking his warmth for comfort and support. The fruity smell of her shampoo calmed him like usual, and they sank into each other's embrace.

"Henry...wake up. I made my homemade onion dip." She waved the dip under the boy's nose but saw no response, so she looked to the adults in defeat. Schwoz moved up to sit on the back of the sofa and the best friends shifted so they could stay in each other's arms and watch Charlotte.

The girl smushed the chip against Henry's lips, wanting to see if her dip would be some sort of miracle cure and wake him up. 

"Please wake up." She begged the teen boy, just wanting her friend back. However, all she was doing was smearing onion dip across his lips. The sight of her so desperate made the adults' hearts ache.

Not being able to take. it anymore, (y/n) and Ray stood up and walked over to her. The woman put her hands gently on her shoulders, hoping she could offer her some consolation.

"Charlotte, sweetheart, all you're doing is giving him dip lipstick." She told her softly, as Ray put his hand over hers. 

"I know." The girl sighed, letting go of the potato snack, which then stuck to Henry's face. The three looked at the sidekick with depressed expressions, but then Schwoz jumped up with an idea.

"AAH!" He yelled, finally having his eureka moment. His shouting broke the silence in the Man Cave and startling his friends. Charlotte clutched her heart in panic as (y/n) wrapped her arms around Ray and he hugged her waist instinctively. 

"What, Schwoz?" He asked in an irritated voice, the sheepish woman removing herself from his person. Her cheeks flushed from both her reaction and how strong the man's arms were as they shielded her from any danger. Yikes, she had it bad.

"Maybe we cannot wake up Henry by doing things to him on the outside..." Schwoz started, the others listening intently.

"Yeah..."

"Right..."

"So...let's try to wake him up from inside his dream." The little dude theorised, the plan sounding plausible in his head.

"What?" Ray and Charlotte looked at him like he was crazy, but (y/n) could see where he was going with it.

"You mean, like, a shared conscious or something?" She knitted her eyebrows together in thought.

"Exactly." Schwoz smiled at her, knowing that she was smart, she just didn't have the confidence in herself to let it shine.

~

"But I don't understand what I'm supposed to do." Charlotte frowned, as the three adults strapped her into an identical chair to what Henry was in. It was all part of Schwoz's plan and it looked like it would be their last chance to save Kid Danger.

"We will explain," Schwoz spoke to her as the teen settled into her chair.

"All right, see, Henry is trapped in a dream state." The genius started, clarifying what she already knew.

"Right, I get that." Charlotte nodded.

"According to Schwoz's theory, we might be able to wake Henry up from inside his dream," Ray told her his understanding of the situation. 

"I don't get that." The girl said, looking at him all confused, but she was looking to the wrong person for answers. The superhero knew diddly squat.

"We're going to make you go to sleep like Henry. And then using this machine, we can connect your sleeping brain waves with Henry's." (y/n) put it into simple terms for her.

"And put you inside Henry's dream." Schwoz finished. The explanation made the whole thing seem easy, even though the little man was buzzing with nerves at how many things could go wrong.

"And you guys know for sure that this isn't dangerous?" Charlotte asked, feeling nervous that she was about to be in the same boat as Henry, who they were trying to save.

"Uhhhh, sure, sure." The men lied, making (y/n) roll her eyes. Trust them to instil her with false confidence.

"Then how come one of you guys don't transport yourselves into Henry's dream?" She saw straight through their bullshit. 

"I have a peanut allergy." Ray fibbed, avoiding (y/n)'s eyes when she folded her arms in annoyance. 'Peanut allergy, my butt.' She growled in her mind.

"I had some onion dip." Schwoz's answer was as equally pathetic as Ray's was. 

"(y/n/n), what's your excuse?" Charlotte sighed, thinking the woman had chickened out too.

"I don't have one. I was going to do it, but these two assholes won't let me." She glared at the men, not liking how they were letting a child do the dangerous work.

"Fair enough." Charlotte let it slide, imagining how Ray would have a bee in his bonnet if anything bad happened to his helper.

"Now, listen, Charlotte, when you're inside Henry's dream, you can't tell Henry that he's dreaming." Ray insisted firmly.

"Do not tell Henry that." Schwoz reiterated the point, stressing that it was vital that she maintained the false reality once she was asleep.

"Why not?" She asked, thinking that it would be the easiest way to get Henry awake.

"Because when you're inside someone's dream and you tell them that they're dreaming, it can go into brain shock." The superhero said, which was the only science-related thing he could add to the conversation. 

"His brain could go...boom!" (y/n) imitated how the boy's head would implode, shocking Charlotte at the dramatic consequence.

"Well, what about me? Could my brain explode?" Her eyes grew wide, thinking that her own personal safety was now at risk.

"Uhhh, no."

"What time is it?" Ray and Schwoz looked away from her, not knowing how to tell a girl that she could die.

"You'll be fine, Char." (y/n) reassured her, but the tightness of her smile gave Charlotte the impression that even she couldn't guarantee her safety.

"All right, well, what do I do when I'm inside his dream?" The adolescent girl asked. There must have been something she could do to help Henry once she was in his dream.

"Well, according to the internet...when a person is in a dream state, one of the most common ways to wake up is by experiencing pain." Ray read aloud from his PearPad and Schwoz agreed that it was a good place to start.

"I don't wanna hurt Henry," Charlotte stressed. Her friend had been through enough already.

"You won't be hurting him, the real Henry is right here. You'll only be hurting dream Henry." (y/n) said and the young woman pointed to the boy's body. 

"It won't be real." Schwoz soothed her worries.

"Okay, but how do I talk to you guys?" She asked, knowing that they couldn't talk to Henry in his dream.

"We're going to put Henry's whiz watch on your wrist," Ray told her, as (y/n) removed it from the kid's arm and transferred it to Charlotte's.

"So, if you fancy a chat while you're in Henry's dream, you use this." She smiled as she fastened the strap.

"You know, when I took this job, we did not talk about stuff like this," Charlotte said sarcastically, using her humour to break the tension.

"Welcome to my world. I was only supposed to stay here whilst I finished college, and look, I'm still here." (y/n) giggled, putting the younger girl at ease at how she was now stuck in Ray's employment. Not that she or he would have it any other way. It never really felt like a job anymore, not when they had each other.

"You'll be fine," Ray reassured her too, whilst simultaneously thanking the gods that his best friend stuck around even when she could have left for a safer and secure life.

"Well, I feel like I should get a bonus or something," Charlotte mumbled. Her paycheck didn't cover near-death experiences.

"Charlotte, if we don't wake Henry out of the dream state soon, he could be trapped in there forever." The superhero urged her, making her realise the importance of her mission.

"Okay, but before I go..." She said. If she was going to die, she wanted to die happy.

"Name it." (y/n) stated.

"One more chip and dip." Charlotte smiled, wanting to taste her great cooking one last time before she faced possible death. With an irritated face, Ray picked up the platter and let her scoop one last mouthful.

"Oooh, me too." (y/n) grinned cheekily, ignoring how moody Ray and Schwoz were being. Charlotte's dip was too good to resist.

"Okay. Let's get this going." The girl said with a full mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly as the scanner was put over her head. Ray let the chair fall back to she was lying down before looking at (y/n) with doubt written across his face.

"You really think this is gonna work?" He said to both her and Schwoz.

"I don't know." The genius mumbled as (y/n) groaned. They were such idiots sometimes.

"Doofus! Nitwit! She can hear you!" The young woman slapped them both on the head, irritated that they weren't doing Charlotte's nerves any favours.

"I heard that!" The girl yelled through the orange glass, proving (y/n)'s point.

"Sweet dreams, Charlotte. And remember, hurt Henry." Ray reminded her, plugging the cable into the scanner.

"It could be our only chance to wake him up," Schwoz added.

"We'll see you on the other side..." (y/n)'s words were the last thing Charlotte heard as she was plunged into the dream state.

~In the dream~

Charlotte screamed as she felt herself falling through the air. Her eyes shot open as she landed roughly on the floor of Henry's living room. Henry was looking around, wondering where the noise was coming from, not noticing his friend until she stood up. 

"Hey." Charlotte greeted him, realising that she must have successfully entered his dream.

"Wha--wh--Charlotte. How'd you get here?" Henry stuttered, feeling on edge from all the freaky things that were happening around his house.

"Uhhhh..." How do you explain that your boss sent you to hurt your friend until he woke up from a dream induced by a supervillain?

"Oh, I don't care." Henry was too relieved to see another normal person to need an explanation and he gave his friend a big hug.

"Good." Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. That was one problem she didn't have to worry about.

"I'm just glad to see you." He smiled at her, happy that he wasn't alone in the craziness anymore.

"Why? Anything strange going on?" The girl feigned ignorance.

"Everything. I had the weirdest day at school. And then I come home and it's even weirder here." He told her, the stress of his day in the dream creeping him out.

"What's so weird?" Charlotte inquired, ready to see what 'crazy dreams' really meant.

"Well, for one thing, my parents. For some reason, they look and sound different. Like Kim and Kanye." Henry pointed to Mrs and Mrs Hart in the kitchen, only it was Jake and Kris, it was literally two Kim and Kanye lookalikes. 

"Hi, Charlotte." Kim/Mom said to her, as the girl's mouth dropped in shock.

"I'm a genius!" Kanye/Dad stated, imitating the Kanye in real life. 

"Cool," Charlotte said slowly, sensing that things were about to get weirder.

"Why do my parents look and sound like Kim and Kanye?" Henry asked, shaking his friend in desperation.

"Do they? I didn't notice." She said, trying to keep up the façade that everything was fine.

"Well, maybe you'll notice that Piper has a beard, and she's playing the lute." Henry gestured to his little sister, who looked like a wise old music player. Definitely strange.

"I gave my love a chicken that had no face." She sang, strumming her instrument's strings softly.

"Why is she singing that?" Henry shook Charlotte's shoulders again.

"I really--" Her answer was cut off as the teen panicked.

"All chickens have faces!" He shouted.

"So, maybe---" Charlotte was struggling to keep him calm.

"Oh, and did you see Jasper?" He pointed to the boy standing behind her, and to her surprise and horror, his head was floating next to his body. 

"Henry, will you please help me get back on my body? Hey! Come back! I thought we were a team!" Jasper's body ran off up the stairs and his shouting head floated after him. 

"Did you see that? I feel like I'm in some weird, freaky dream." Henry told his friend, making Charlotte panic. She couldn't have him thinking that, his brain could explode!

"You're not!" She grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to her, trying to convey her stress.

"Huh?" He couldn't understand why she was being so weird too.

"You're not having a dream!" She reiterated, but Henry still wasn't convinced.

"Then how do you explain that?!" Henry pointed to the couch and this was the weirdest thing so far. Charlotte's eye nearly fell out of her head when she saw Ray and (y/n) cuddling up on the couch. However, it wasn't like their normal, cutesy snuggling where they couldn't be part without missing each other, this was something else.

"Oh. My. God." Charlotte said, as she watched the two rub noses and shared a gentle kiss. They smiled against each other's lips and if she didn't know that this wasn't real, Charlotte would be on the floor from fainting. It was strange to see them acting on their feelings, but it also felt right, and the teens watched as (y/n) slid into her "boyfriend's" lap so she could be as close to him as possible as they kissed. Ray looked at her with so much love, his eyes crinkling with happiness. It was such a shame that this wasn't real.

"That's not normal!" Henry yelled, knowing that Ray was nowhere near ready to confess to (y/n).

"Just go upstairs and try to put Jasper's head back on his body and I'll deal with the lovebirds," Charlotte instructed him, standing in front of the two so they were out of his line of sight.

"Okay. That makes sense." Henry felt a sense of familiarity from his friend's logic, so he did as she said. He ran up the stairs, intent on sorting out his best friend's predicament.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but it's not natural!" He yelled, mentally preparing himself for what was about to happen. Taking her chance of being alone, Charlotte ran to the porch and flipped the whiz watch open. Time to see if it would work.

"Ray?" She asked, and the large man appeared over her wrist.

"Charlotte! Did you find Henry?" He asked, getting straight down to business.

"Yeah. I'm inside of his dream." She told him, intriguing the man.

"Oooh, what's it like?" He inquired.

"Weird." She replied, thinking back to Kim, Kanye, Jasper, Piper, Dream Ray and Dream (y/n).

"Well, how weird?" He inquired further, but Charlotte couldn't tell him about him and (y/n), he would really freak out if she heard.

"You really need a number?" She looked at him with a 'for real?' expression.

"Yes. From one to ten." Ray insisted. 

"Hang on let me check." Charlotte closed the watch and looked back inside the house. If he wanted a figure, then she was going to give an accurate one. She saw Kim and Kanye spinning around the kitchen with fruit in their hands, Piper combing and talking to her beard, Ray and (y/n) making out on the couch and Henry chasing Jasper's head. Yeah. Definitely weird.

"52." She reported once she was back outside. The whole dream was starting to creep her out too.

"Ray...just tell me what to do so (y/n) and Schwoz can wake me up and bring me back home," Charlotte stressed, knowing that the longer she stayed there, the more likely it was that she'd be stuck there, forever.

"Okay, first, you gotta remember the world you're in with Henry is not real. You're just in a crazy, weird dream state." He reminded her.

"Yeah, no kidding." Charlotte's eye's bugged out of her head as she looked to her right and saw that Jasper's head was floating next to her. 

"Hey, who are you talking to?" The head asked, making the girl swat her hand at him.

"Get out of here, Jasper's head!" She shouted, the thing spooking her.

"Charlotte!" Ray yelled to get her attention again as Jasper's head whistled and floated off.

"Yeah, I'm back, what?" The teen refocused on the task at hand.

"You got to go hurt Henry." Ray urged her. Time was running out.

"But I---" She hated the thought of hurting her friend, even if it wasn't real.

"It's okay. You're in a dream. Nothing is real. There's nothing to get hung about. Now, go hurt Henry and hopefully, that'll wake him up." Ray emphasised that everything would be fine.

"All right, but you, Schwoz and (y/n) better not be eating my onion dip without me." She warned him sternly, wanting to wake up to her delicious sauce.

"We're not. Now, you know what to do." Ray shrugged off the accusation, what Charlotte didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Right." The girl snapped the watch shut and ran back into the house, thinking of all the ways she could hurt Henry.

~Outside of the dream~

Ray turned away from the monitor that he used to talk to Charlotte and joined Schwoz and (y/n) in eating the girl's dip. Scooping up some of the creaminess on a chip, Ray groaned in delight at the taste.

"Charlotte will kill us if she finds out we ate her dip.." Schwoz said, rapidly dunking another chip.

"Eh, what she doesn't know won't hurt her." (y/n) commented, loving the dip too much to stop filling her face.

~Back in the dream~

Back in the house, Charlotte looked across the living and saw that things were still crazy. Mom/Kim and Dad/Kanye were sharing earphones in the kitchen and Piper was playing a crappy romantic melody on the lute for Ray and (y/n) as the woman laid her head in his lap and lovingly smiled up at him. He giggled at her silly mood and bent down to give her an Eskimo kiss.

"Hey, Piper! Hi, lovebugs!" She called to the people on the couch as she ran past.

"There's a river of glue and apple juice, too." Piper looked at Charlotte and spouted the nonsense.

"I love you, Ray-Ray." (y/n) giggled, cupping her 'boyfriend's face in her hands.

"I love you too, sweetie pie." Ray cooed back, the sight of them being borderline disgusting. It was cute and the girl had been gunning for them to get together for ages, but they cuddled and snuggled like there was no one else in the room.

"Okay..." Charlotte didn't know how to respond to Piper or the couple, so she just ignored them and grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl. She ran up the stairs as Piper played her lute again, peeling the yellow fruit as she went. Placing the skin at the top of the stairs, she descended again and called for Henry. Her plan for pain was in motion. 

"Henry!" She yelled at the top of her voice.

"What?" The boy shouted back from his room.

"Henry, come quick! Hurry!" She bellowed, hoping that her urgent tone would make him move faster and not see the banana peel.

"Charlotte, here I come!! What's wr---" The teenager dashed to the top of the stairs thinking that was some kind of emergency. In his haste, he failed to notice the trap that his friend had laid for him, resulting in the boy tumbling headfirst down the stairs. He rolled all the way down, grunting as he went. Piper's music was still playing as fell and the lovers on the couch didn't even break eye contact.

Charlotte rushed to see if he was okay, praying that his pain would be enough to wake him up. 

"Hi." She greeted him meekly, her plan obviously failing.

"What just happened?" Henry blinked, his entire body aching from the fall.

"You fell down the stairs," Charlotte told him, helping the boy to his feet.

"Oh." 

"Did it hurt?" The girl asked hopefully.

"Yeah, a lot," Henry replied as his friend supported his wobbly legs. 

"Cool, wait here." The girl dropped him back on the floor and rushed to the porch to tell Ray the development. It seemed like they'd need a new strategy.

"Ray!" She said at her whiz watch, the man appearing once again.

"Hi. Did you hurt Henry?" He asked, wondering if his idea was working. 

"Oh, yeah. Is he waking up?" She replied, expecting to see some change or sign on the machines.

"Is he waking up?" Ray turned around in real life, looking at Schwoz and (y/n) as they checked the results.

"No, he's still sleeping," Schwoz said, watching as Henry kept shaking, probably his body reacting from the pain in his dream. 

"Pain isn't working!" (y/n) added, noticing that the brainwaves on the scanner were being affected, but not changed.

"Dang it!" Ray muttered, his frustration worrying Charlotte.

"What?" She asked in a concerned voice.

"Stand by. We're gonna bring you back to reality." Ray told her despondently, knowing that for the moment, there was nothing more Charlotte could do in the dream.

"Okay." Charlotte prepared herself, closing the whiz watch and tensing her muscles in anticipation. Henry opened the door and stepped out onto the porch, wondering why Charlotte was out there alone. 

"Charlotte, I can't get Jasper's---" He was cut off by a bright flash of light as Charlotte was sucked back to the real world.

"Today, that does not surprise me." He said, the sight of his friend vanishing not freaking him out since he had been through some serious crap already. 

~Back in real life~

"Charlotte? Charlotte!" (y/n) shook the girl slightly as Ray and Schwoz lifted the scanner from her face.

"What...What happened?" She asked in a drowsy voice, sitting up and blinking when the harsh lights strained her eyes.

"Bad news. Henry's still trapped in a dream state." Ray said bleakly. Charlotte peered through the gap between (y/n) and Schwoz and saw her friend still trapped in his sleep.

"Aw, man." She sighed, thinking her effort had gone to waste.

"And more bad news," Schwoz added.

"What?" Charlotte wasn't sure if she could take any more problems.

"We ate all your onion dip." The genius admitted, making (y/n) groan. She knew he had a guilty conscience, but she was hoping she would be able to get away with it.

"Oh, no!" The girl squealed, her chances of tasting her dip again gone until she made the next batch. 

~

They had all been wracking their brains for the last half an hour, trying to think of a solution to help Henry. Ray was scrolling through his PearPad, (y/n) on her PearPhone. Charlotte had taken the seat at the supercomputer, scanning the same websites as them in hope that they'd find something useful. Schwoz was typing away on his tablet, but so far they'd found nada, zilch, nothing.

"Hey, hey! Here's something that might wake Henry up!" Charlotte gasped as she came across some information that appeared to be promising.

"Sweet cheese, yes!" (y/n) swiftly tucked her phone in her pocket and ran over to the computer with Ray and Schwoz hot on her heels.

"What you got?" The larger man stood behind (y/n) and looked at the screen.

"Okay, this website says "Sometimes when a person is stuck in a deep dream state, you can stop the dreams by submerging the person underwater for between 30 and 45 minutes."" Charlotte turned around to look at them, the grin on her face indicating that she hadn't thought about the implications of what she had just said.

"Did it mention any side effects?" Ray smiled at her sarcastically as his best friend let her head loll back onto his chest.

"Lemme check. Scrolling down...okay...uh...Here we go, side effects. "Number one, death."" Charlotte happy tone soon turned sour when she realised that the website was useless.

"Okay, let's not try that." She said, leaning back in her chair from frustration.

"Yeah, that creates a whole 'nother problem." (y/n) said, taking her phone out again so she could continue her search. 

"Guys...what are we gonna do? What if we can never wake Henry up and he's stuck in a dream state forever?" Ray said in a brokenhearted voice, strolling to Henry's side. (y/n) followed behind him, hugging the large man from behind.

"We're not gonna give up." She said firmly against the material of his shirt, refusing to leave Henry to die.

"But we've tried everything," Ray replied quietly as she squeezed her smaller frame to his huge one. 

"There has to be something we can do." The young woman said, enjoying how his back muscles rolled and flexed against her body.

"AHOY! Schwoz's loud cry of joy broke through their sadness, confusing them into what had him raising his PearPad into the air.

"What?" Charlotte asked, his sudden outburst puzzling her.

"Why'd you say ahoy?" Ray asked, turning around with (y/n) so they could see what Schwoz was doing. 

"Listen to what I just found on an ancient Hindu website." The little man gestured to his PearPad and they all crowded around it.

"What's it say?" Charlotte asked, squinting at the small text on the screen.

"Come on, Schwoz, spill the beans." (y/n) added, hating the suspense.

"The most effective method of shocking a sleeping person out of a deep dream state is...fright!" Schwoz read aloud, but his funny accent was hard for the others to understand.

"Flight?" She repeated, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Okay, so we just need to book Henry a flight somewhere," Ray stated, snapping his fingers.

"He's always wanted to go to Florida." (y/n) added, remembering how Henry ranted to her about going to Disneyworld.

"Perfect! Henry, you're going to Florida." Ray told the boy, even though he couldn't hear him. Schwoz groaned at how carried away they were getting.

"I not say 'flight', I frrrright. Fright. Like, ooga, ooga, booga, booga, ooga." The little man waved his arms around and growled at them so they'd understand what he meant.

"Oh, fright," Charlotte said, finally getting what he was trying to say.

"Yes, yes, we must put Charlotte back into Henry's dream," Schwoz said, pointing to the chair that sent the teen girl to sleep.

"And she needs to scare him?" Ray asked, confused as to how that would wake his sidekick up.

"That makes sense. Like when I have those nightmares with the clowns that scare the shit out of me and I have to sleep with you when I wake up." (y/n) explained to him, thinking back to the nights when Ray held her close and chased away all her bad dreams. 

"She needs to terrify him. You got to scare the poof out of him." Schwoz said, pondering over just how many nights the woman had spent in Ray's bed. How they weren't together baffled him.

"Poof?" Again, Schwoz's accent stopped the others from understanding him.

"Okay, when you say poof--" Ray wasn't sure what Schwoz meant, knowing that in some circumstances, the word was offensive.

"You know what I mean!" Schwoz snapped, not wanting to repeat himself again.

"Wait. I'm not very good at scaring people." Charlotte admitted. She couldn't remember how many of her pranks had failed because she just couldn't get anyone to be frightened by her.

"I can help you with that." (y/n) smirked, knowing just the thing that would do the trick...

~

"This is what we're going to use to scare Henry shitless." (y/n) told the girl, gesturing to a green, misshapen egg thing in Schwoz's hands. Even Ray looked confused at what it was.

"Looks like something my Uncle Rosco coughed up," Charlotte commented, looking over the lumpy thing. 

"You hear what she say about my bloob?" Schwoz looked at Ray, getting all defensive about his creation.

"It does look like a loogie," Ray said, agreeing with his female employee that it looked like phlegm or something. (y/n) giggled at the word 'loogie' and smiled up at him. 

"Just...How does that thing help me scare Henry?" Charlotte asked.

"All right, here's the plan. We're gonna send you back into Henry's dream." Ray started, pulling down the orange scanner as his assistants helped the girl into the sleep chair.

"Okay." 'So far, so good.' Charlotte thought.

"And when you get there, put Schwoz's abomination into the refrigerator." (y/n) said, watching as the genius passed his green egg thing to the teen.

"It's a bloob!" He protested, feeling protective over it.

"It's an abomination. Anyway, after ten seconds, you get Henry to open the fridge." Ray carried on. His agreement with his helper made Schwoz grumble and sulk.

"I don't think Henry's gonna be that scared when he sees this blob," Charlotte said. The thing was weird, but not scary, not in the least.

"Bloob!" Schwoz corrected her, not having another person insult the blob/bloob thing.

"Just trust us." Ray contributed, knowing that two of the smartest people in Swellview were helping her.

Wait. What's going to happen when Henry opens the door to the fridge?" Charlotte asked, sensing that the bloob was more than what it seemed.

"Henry will get the bejesus scared out of him. Oh, and look away." (y/n) said, patting her arm reassuringly.

"Look away," Ray repeated, knowing that if it was one of Schwoz's mutated creations, it was bound to be terrifying. They shut the scanner and reclined the chair as Schwoz turned up the power and sent Charlotte back into the dream to finish her mission.

~In the dream~

Charlotte fell back into the Hart's house, landing behind the kitchen counter. Piper was still strumming happily on her lute, and (y/n) was laid on top of Ray, him stroking his hand through her hair lazily. Getting to her feet, Charlotte looked around for the green thing.

"Wait, where's the blob?" She said, looking around for it, but when she looked up, the thing fell on her face like a pancake. The girl flung the bloob from her face onto the floor, where it inflated into its spherical shape again. Shaking off her disgust, she picked it up and dashed over to the refrigerator, shutting the thing inside.

"Okay, put the bloob in the fridge and wait ten seconds." She mumbled to herself before running to the foot of the stairs to call for Henry. 

"Henry! Hey, Henry, where are you?! Henry!" She yelled, hoping he could hear her. 

"Charlotte? Charlotte!" The boy came from his bedroom and jogged down the stairs.

"What's happening? Everything's been so crazy and I don't get why." He asked her, feeling relieved to see her again

"Can I have some juice?" She asked innocently, trying to prompt him into getting frightened.

"Juice?" Henry couldn't believe that she wanted a drink with all the weirdness going on.

"Yeah, I need some cold juice. You know, refrigerated." Charlotte lied, hoping he'd buy it.

"Okay, that's a pretty specific request," Henry stated, the stress of his dream taking its toll on his patience.

"Just get the juice." She snapped, leaving no room for arguing.

" All right." The boy submitted, walking over to his refrigerator where he was about to get the fright of his life. 

"I'm having a mental breakdown, all she cares about is juice. All right, what do you want, apple? Orange?--" He mumbled to himself, Charlotte looking away just in time as a hideous, winged mutant creature flew out of the fridge and caused Henry to fall to the floor in fright.

"Henry! Henry?" Charlotte ran over to him after the monster went back inside the refrigerator and noticed that he was unconscious. A bright light flashed around his body before it disappeared and Charlotte did a little fist pump in celebration. Her work in the dream was done. 

~Outside the dream~

"Oh my god, he's waking up, she did it!" (y/n) squealed as Henry's brainwaves started to go haywire.

"Henry, Henry, can you hear me?" Ray said to the boy as he and Schwoz lifted the brain scanner. 

"Wake up! Wake up!" The genius encouraged, as Henry groaned in his sleep.

"Walk away from the light!" Ray and (y/n) yelled as Henry's groans turned into screams.

"Ahh, ahhh, ahhh! Monster in my fridge!" He cried as he was shocked into reality. The adults burst into happiness as he came back to them.

"It worked!"

"You're back!" The men helped him out of the chair and Henry blinked the sleep away from his mind.

"Yeah, I was having the weirdest dreams. And you weren't there. But you two were there. And everyone, everything was insane." The kid told them, breathing a sigh of relief that things were back to normal.

"What? Why were we weird?" (y/n) asked, confused as to why Charlotte hadn't mentioned them in the dream.

"Uhhhh, everyone except Charlotte." Henry couldn't tell them what he had seen them do in his dream, he was sure they'd burst into flames of embarrassment.

"CHARLOTTE!" The adults yelled in synchronisation, realising that the girl was still asleep. They let go of Henry, who fell a little from the sudden lack of support and sprinted to the machine's to get her awake.

"Hello? Ray? (y/n)? Anybody?" Charlotte said through her whiz watch, wondering why she wasn't being brought home.

"Charlotte!" Ray appeared over her wrist, worried that something had happened whilst they hadn't been paying attention to her vital signs.

"Did Henry wake up?" She asked, hoping that the plan had gone smoothly.

"Yeah, he's here and he's okay." The man gave her two thumbs up.

"Awesome. Now, bring me back." Charlotte told him, expecting that it would be easy. 

"Right, one sec." Ray stepped away from his camera and looked at Schwoz.

"Bring Charlotte back." He instructed him, but the genius gave him a weak smile.

"We can't," Schwoz admitted, (y/n) sharing his worried look. They hadn't anticipated this. 

"What?" Ray exclaimed, looking between the little guy and his best friend.

"What do you mean you can't?" Henry piped up, finding the strength to walk over to them. 

"Schwoz blew out the transnypular tube." (y/n) said as Schwoz held up the component. He should have listened when the young woman said to be more gentle with the machine.

"Well, can't you get another one?" Ray asked Schwoz.

"Yeah, but it's like a two-hour drive." The genius explained as Charlotte's voice came from over the whiz watch.

"Uh, listen. We're not going to be able to bring you back to reality for about four hours." The superhero broke the bad news to the girl, who did not take it well.

"Four hours?! Well, what am I supposed to do, stuck here in Henry's bizarro dream for four hours?" She spluttered in disbelief.

"Do you know how to play mahjong?" Ray suggested from the top of his head.

Charlotte sighed as she looked around the house. She couldn't believe she'd have to play mahjong with these weirdos for the next four hours. 

"When she wakes up, she's going to kill you." (y/n) told Schwoz, watching as the man put his jacket on.

"You were using the machine too, it's your fault too." He whined back, not wanting to face Charlotte's wrath alone.

"Yeah, but the difference between me and you is that I've got a superhero to protect me. What have you got?" (y/n) smirked, taking her seat beside Ray, fluttering her eyelashes at him so he'd stick to her argument.

"Yeah, Schwoz." The larger man said to the grumbling genius, who knew it would be impossible for Ray to say no to her. He could never say no to her and he'd protect her until his dying breath. They were always on each other's side, no matter what.